Raphael Warnock and HBCU choirs bring “Total Praise” to Capitol Hill in tribute to Richard Smallwood

A bipartisan Senate resolution and stirring choral moment honored the Atlanta-born, D.C.-raised gospel legend whose music guided generations through grief and glory.

Some songs aren’t just sung — they’re held. They become the soundtrack to sorrow, the language of gratitude, and the steady hand that lifts us when life gets hard.

That legacy echoed through Capitol Hill on Wednesday (Jan. 14), when U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock honored gospel icon Richard Smallwood in a public ceremony that blended faith, music, and history.

Warnock joined Senator Tim Scott for the moment, alongside the Howard University Gospel Choir and the Metropolitan Baptist Church Choir, honoring Smallwood’s life and work with a performance of his signature composition, “Total Praise.” The selection followed the introduction of a bipartisan Senate resolution recognizing Smallwood’s contributions.

Warnock reflected on Smallwood’s roots and reach, pointing to his deep ties to both Howard University and Metropolitan Baptist Church, and emphasized that, despite his towering impact, Smallwood remained a worshipper first, never someone chasing recognition.

Warnock described him as “a musical genius and a giant of the gospel music world.” He noted that Smallwood’s music has carried listeners through hardship, noting that his songs often linger longer in memory than sermons.

The tribute came just weeks after Smallwood’s death at age 77 from complications related to kidney failure.

Smallwood’s gift revealed itself early. The child prodigy was born in Atlanta in 1948 and raised in Washington, D.C., where he began playing the piano at age 5. After earning a music degree from Howard University, he founded the Richard Smallwood Singers in the late 1970s, later transitioning to the choir Vision in the 1990s.

Smallwood’s legacy includes eight Grammy nominations and multiple Dove and Stellar Awards. This recognition reflects not only technical brilliance but also spiritual resonance.

While his sound is rooted in gospel tradition, his reach extends far beyond it. Whitney Houston recorded his song “I Love the Lord” for The Preacher’s Wife soundtrack. Destiny’s Child incorporated “Total Praise” into their 2007 a cappella “Gospel Medley,” carrying his music into global pop culture and introducing his work to audiences who might never have set foot in a Black church.

Still, on Capitol Hill, the tribute landed where so much of his legacy began: in the voices of believers and the power of a choir.