Grammy-nominated Gospel singer, writer, and producer Troy Sneed has died following a battle with coronavirus. He was 52.
According to the New York Daily News, his publicist shared that Sneed had died Monday morning at a Jacksonville, Fla., hospital from COVID-19 related complications.
Throughout his musical career, Sneed released seven solo albums which included hits such as “My Heart Says Yes” and “Work It Out.” Both songs reached the No. 2 spot on the Billboard gospel chart.
Sneed also helped to form a musical group composed of members ages 12 to 18 from the Georgia Mass Choir called Youth For Christ. Sneed received his sole Grammy nomination for their 1999 album Higher.
Sneed also produced Youth For Christ’s hit album, The Struggle Is Over, which reached No.1 on the Billboard gospel chart in 2006.
“Troy was like a brother to me,” Mike Chandler, CEO of Rejoice! Musical Soul Food radio network told Action News Jax. “He was a businessman. He was a husband; he was a father. He was an industry leader, so it’s not just my loss it’s a loss to the whole industry.”
“He was one of the most talented men in our industry, but more importantly Troy was a good person and he did a lot of good work. The world is going to miss him,” Chandler added.
Sneed was born in Perry, Florida on December 14, 1967. He attended Florida A&M University where he played football and later went on to be appointed as the minister of music for the FAMU choir. The choir performed across the United States with the likes of influential gospel singers James Moore, LaShun Pace, Dorothy Norwood and the Rev. James Cleveland.
Sneed also taught at Jacksonville Beach Elementary School and later served as the Georgia Mass Choir’s Assistant Minister of Music. Sneed traveled and arranged music for the choir and together Sneed and the choir were featured in the 1996 film The Preacher’s Wife, starring Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston.
In 2003, he and his wife Emily started their own recording label, Emtro. The label is responsible for producing the Rev. Rudolph McKissick’s gospel radio hit, “The Right Place” and Alvin Darling & Celebration’s hit “All Night.”
Last fall, Sneed released his 12 and final album, All My Best, which showcased his greatest hits.
Sneed is survived by his wife Emily and their four children, Troy Jr., Evany, Trey and Tyler.
Photo courtesy: Troy Sneed Facebook
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
