Gospel performer, songwriter Andrae Crouch dies at 72

FILE - In this Sept. 1, 1996 file photo, Grammy winning gospel singer Andrae Crouch sings during service at the Christ Memorial church in Pacoima, Calif. Crouch, a legendary gospel performer, songwriter and choir director whose work graced songs by Michael Jackson and Madonna and movies such as The Lion King, has died at age 72. (AP Photo/Frank Wiese, File)

LOS ANGELES – Andrae Crouch, a legendary gospel performer, songwriter and choir director whose work graced songs by Michael Jackson and Madonna and movies such as "The Lion King," has died. He was 72.

Crouch died Thursday afternoon at Northridge Hospital Medical Center, where he had been admitted Saturday after suffering a heart attack, said his publicist, Brian Mayes.

Crouch and his sister, Sandra Crouch, lived in the Pacoima area of Los Angeles, Mayes said. They were pastors at the New Christ Memorial Church in the Los Angeles suburb of San Fernando.

Born in San Francisco, Crouch wrote his first gospel tune at age 14.

In a career that spanned more than half a century, Crouch wrote dozens of songs, including gospel favorites such as "The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power," "My Tribute (To God Be the Glory)" and "Soon and Very Soon," which was sung at a public memorial to Jackson.

Since he debuted in 1960, Crouch collected seven Grammys. He also helped pioneer the burgeoning "Jesus Music" movement from the late 1960s and '70s that started the spread of contemporary Christian music.

But his influence crossed over into in pop music. Elvis Presley performed his song "I've Got Confidence" for a 1972 gospel album, and Paul Simon" recorded "Jesus Is the Answer" for a 1974 live album.

Crouch worked with many other stars, from Diana Ross to Ringo Starr, and his gospel albums sometimes featured performers from other musical genres. His 18th solo album, "The Journey," released in 2011, featured Chaka Khan, Shelia E., Take 6, Kim Burrell and Marvin Winans.

Crouch was one of only a handful of gospel performers to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

His choir, The Disciples, sang background for Madonna's song "Like a Prayer." Crouch helped Michael Jackson arrange the King of Pop's 1987 hit song, "Man in the Mirror."

He also arranged music for the 1985 film "The Color Purple" -- which earned him an Academy Award nomination -- and Disney's "The Lion King" in 1994.

His success came despite a lifelong struggle with dyslexia. To create, he would make drawings that allowed him to grasp the concept. For the Jackson song, he drew a mirror with an image in it.

"I memorized everything through sight, the shape of the word," Crouch told The Associated Press in 2011. "Some things that I write, you'll see a page with cartoon pictures or a drawing of a car -- like a Ford -- or a flag. I still do it on an occasion when a word is strange to me."

"So when I finish a song, I thank God for bringing me through," he continued. "You have to press on and know your calling. That's what I've been doing for all my life. I just went forward."

Crouch said his dyslexia contributed to his success.

"If I was sharp in every area, I might be too big-headed or something," he said.

Crouch had health issues in recent years, including diabetes and cancer. Last month, he was hospitalized for pneumonia and congestive heart failure and had to cancel a tour.