Legendary Gospel Singer Andraé Crouch Dead at 72

1/8/2015 JENNIFER LECLAIRE charisma news

Andrae' Crouch (Facebook)

Music legend Andraé Crouch has died. The Grammy and Dove Award winner passed away on Thursday, January 8, 2015 at approximately 4:30 pm PST at Northridge Hospital Medical Center in the Los Angeles area. Andraé, 72, was hospitalized on January 3rd.

Andraé's accolades include 7 Grammy Awards, 6 GMA Dove Awards, an Academy Award nomination for "The Color Purple," induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

His songs have been recorded by everyone from Elvis Presley to Paul Simon, and he has worked as a producer and arranger with many of music's top artists, including Michael Jackson, Madonna, Quincy Jones, Diana Ross, Elton John and many others. Andraé can also be heard on Michael Jackson's hit singles "Man in the Mirror," "Keep the Faith," "Will You Be There" and "Earth Song."

Andraé's family requests privacy at this time. 

10-Year Old Vindicated for Choosing God Over Michael Jackson - CharismaNews

10-Year Old Vindicated for Choosing God Over Michael Jackson

10:30AM EDT 10/18/2013 ANN CARROLL

 

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Erin Shead (left) was told by her teacher she couldn't turn in this assignment about God. (Liberty Institute)

When 10-year-old Erin Shead received a school assignment to write about her idol, it was an easy decision: She chose to write about God.

However, when young Erin asked her teacher if she could write about God, she was told no. That night, after speaking with her mother, Erin decided to move forward with her plans. Fearful the teacher might not accept it, she completed a second assignment as well.

The next day, Erin tried to hand in her assignment she had written about God, but the teacher rejected it, accepting her other project (about Michael Jackson) instead. Later, during a class discussion, the teacher told Erin to take the God assignment home because leaving it on school property might violate the First Amendment.

Standing Strong

Erin’s mother, Erica, took the story public to bring attention to the religious discrimination happening at her daughter’s school.

Sadly, the classroom discussions over Erin’s assignment actually led to the young student being teased by her classmates. Recess discussions moved from mocking her belief in God to racial insults.

Liberty Institute immediately stepped in to help. Liberty Attorney Jeremy Dys had several conversations with the general counsel of Shelby County School on behalf of Erica and Erin, to investigate the situation and inform the district of students’ true constitutional rights.

Fortunately, in this situation Shelby County Schools did the right thing. This week, Erin was able to turn in her assignment with her original subject—God—and received an A.

Erin’s mother told WREG Memphis that she simply “wanted Erin’s right to be able to express herself not to ever be taken away again.”

“I just wanted every Christian to know that we have a right to be able to express ourselves,” she told the news outlet. “We understand that they’ve taken prayer out of schools, but they cannot take God out of our children.”

More: CharismaNews