Left to right: Andra\u00e9 Crouch, Sandra Crouch, Robert Shanklin, and Michael Jackson – December 1994, Hit Factory, New York, NY Courtesy of Capital Entertainment<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
![](\"https:\/\/img.einpresswire.com\/large\/646566\/sandra-crouch-with-michael-jack.jpeg#2992x2398\")
<\/a><\/p>\n2023 Sandra Crouch Promo Photo by Alonso Garcia<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nSandra Crouch testifying at New Christ Memorial Church in Pacoima, CA circa 2005<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Singer, Songwriter and Percussionist Worked With Michael Jackson And A Who’s Who in Music<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 Donald Lawrence, Grammy Award Winning Producer<\/p>\n<\/div>\n PACOIMA, CALIFORNIA, USA, April 3, 2024 \/EINPresswire.com<\/a>\/ — Sandra Crouch, Grammy\u00ae<\/sup> Award winning twin sister of gospel legend Andra\u00e9 Crouch, and an artist in her own right, passed away on Sunday, March 17, 2024 @ 12 PM PST at Northridge Hospital in Northridge, CA. She was 81. She died of complications from radiation for a non-cancerous brain lesion. Crouch was an integral partner in her brother\u2019s trailblazing career as the most popular crossover gospel artist of the 1970s and co-wrote one of his biggest hits, \u201cJesus is the Answer.\u201d She was also a percussionist on recordings by The Jackson 5, Neil Diamond, and Janis Joplin. In the 1980s, she produced a trio of Grammy\u00ae<\/sup> Award-nominated albums that birthed the hits \u201cCompletely Yes,\u201d and \u201cWe Need To Hear From You.\u201d <\/p>\n Television producer , Ken Erlich, worked with Sandra Crouch many times. \u201cI just remember what a presence she was,\u201d he says. \u201c…On the Grammy\u00ae<\/sup> shows, in the early years that I was doing them in the 1980s… We would do a big gospel number and quite often, most of the time, or a lot of the time, it was with Andra\u00e9, but a lot of it was with Sandra and her choirs.” One such time was when Michael Jackson did the “The Way You Make Me Feel” and “Man in the Mirror” medley in 1988 at Radio City Music Hall for the Grammy Awards. “She pulled the choir together for that.\u201d <\/p>\n Sandra Elaine Crouch and her twin brother, Andra\u00e9 Edward Crouch , were born on July 1, 1942, in Los Angeles, CA. Their parents, Benjamin E. and Catherine Crouch, founded Christ Memorial Church C.O.G.I.C. in San Fernando Valley in 1951. While the twins were students at San Fernando Valley High School, they formed The COGICS. Their first recording was \u201cIt Will Never Lose Its Power\u201d for Vee Jay Records. Then, they formed Andra\u00e9 Crouch & the Disciples while Sandra worked as a percussionist in Hollywood. Among the notable recordings she played on were The Jackson 5\u2019s \u201cI Want You Back,\u201d Neil Diamond\u2019s \u201cCracklin\u2019 Rosie,\u201d and Janis Joplin\u2019s \u201cMe and Bobby McGee.\u201d <\/p>\n By the 1970s, Crouch rejoined her brother as a key member of The Disciples. Aside from singing and playing with the group, she co-wrote songs such as \u201cJesus is the Answer\u201d that was a huge crossover hit on both white and black gospel radio stations. Over the years, it\u2019s been covered by over 75 artists including Paul Simon, and Michael W. Smith. The group dominated the airwaves during the period with hits such as \u201cTake Me Back,\u201d \u201cSoon and Very Soon,\u201d \u201cThrough It All,\u201d and \u201cMy Tribute (To God Be the Glory).\u201d They performed on \u201cThe Tonight Show with Johnny Carson\u201d and \u201cSaturday Night Live,\u201d and at The White House during the Carter Administration.<\/p>\n In 1983, Sandra Crouch bankrolled, composed, and produced her first solo LP, We Sing Praises. It won a Grammy\u00ae<\/sup> Award and birthed the radio hits \u201cHe\u2019s Worthy,\u201d \u201cThere is Power in the Blood,\u201d and \u201cWe Need to hear From You.\u201d Its unexpected success helped save Light Records from financial bankruptcy. Her next set, We\u2019re Waiting, appeared in 1985 and included the massive hit \u201cCompletely Yes\u201d that was sung by church choirs nationwide. It earned three Grammy\u00ae<\/sup> Award nominations in 1989. Her final solo album, With All of My Heart, was released on Sparrow Records in 1992. <\/p>\n “Sandra Crouch was a friend,\u201d says R&B legend, Candi Staton. \u201cWe were even nominated for a Grammy in the same year and same category. We hung out that day. There was no jealousy nor competition. I think that is the truly genuine thing about Sandra is that she was all about the ministry and not the awards.”<\/p>\n Over the years, Andra\u00e9 Crouch began to work on film soundtracks and always included Sandra. Quincy Jones tapped them to work on \u201cThe Color Purple.\u201d They wrote \u201cHeaven Belongs to You\u201d for it and they sang \u201cMaybe God Is Trying to Tell You Something\u201d on the soundtrack. That led to other scores for the films \u201cThe Lion King\u201d and \u201cFree Willy.\u201d In addition, the twins assembled choirs that backed Madonna on \u201cLike A Prayer,\u201d Diana Ross on \u201cForce Behind the Power,\u201d and Michael Jackson on \u201cYou Are Not Alone\u201d and \u201cMan in the Mirror.\u201d The Sandra Crouch Singers backed Beyonc\u00e9, Common, and John Legend on the closing segment of the 57th annual Grammy\u00ae<\/sup> Awards in 2015 with a riveting medley of \u201cTake My Hand, Precious Lord,\u201d and \u201cGlory\u201d from the Selma motion picture soundtrack. She also produced one of the few televised Grammy\u00ae<\/sup> gospel performances ever with Al Green as the star of the segment. It\u2019s just one of innumerable achievements from Sandra Crouch\u2019s illustrious career.<\/p>\n In 1998, Andra\u00e9 Crouch, who assumed leadership of his parents\u2019 church when his brother, Pastor Benjamin Crouch Jr. passed, defied the COGIC denomination\u2019s policy against female preachers and ordained Sandra as a co-pastor. They renamed Christ Memorial COGIC as New Christ Memorial Church to signify a new era. Andra\u00e9 Crouch passed away on January 8, 2015. Upon his death, Sandra Crouch assumed the role of Senior Pastor and had been active up until recently. “Sandra genuinely did not mind shining from the back,” Grammy winning producer, Donald Lawrence, remembers about her many backstage musical credits. “She loved seeing others win.”<\/p>\n TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2024<\/p>\n 4 PM\t\tViewing WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2024<\/p>\n 11 AM\t\tCelebration of Life \/Homegoing Service<\/p>\n All Celebration of Life activities will take place at New Christ Memorial Church, 13333 Vaughn Street, San Fernando, CA 91340. In lieu of flowers, please make tax deductible donations to Christ Memorial Church at www.newchristmemorial.org<\/a><\/p>\n Bill Carpenter Jesus is the Answer <\/p>\n \n
\n7 PM\t\tMusical Tribute<\/p>\n
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