Chart-topping gospel singer Troy Sneed has died at age 52 from complications related to the coronavirus. The artist passed away early Monday at a hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, Fox News reported.
Troy's career spans decades and includes multiple hits as well as a Grammy nomination, but music was not always his priority. Growing up in the South, Troy's first passion was football but when injuries sidelined his NFL dreams, music became his comfort, according to Malaco Music Group, which helped the singer release his first album.
Troy joined the Florida A&M University's gospel choir, which is where he met his wife Emily. It was here that his music career got its kick-start.
Reverend Milton Biggham, the founder of the Georgia Mass Choir, heard Troy sing and asked him to join the Georgia Mass Choir, which he toured with for several years. In 1999, Troy decided to go solo and released his debut album "Call Jesus." This was followed by the album "Bless That Wonderful Name," which was dropped in 2001. Several of his singles appeared in the gospel charts.
During that time, Troy helped put together a group called the Youth For Christ, which earned a Grammy nomination in the '90s. From there, Troy and Emily went on to start their own label, Emtro Gospel. Troy put his solo career on hold to pour his energy into the label and his efforts paid off in 2005 with Alvin Darling’s spirited "All Night." After that Emtro Gospel signed numerous other successful artists.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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