Sparky D, Pioneering ‘Roxanne Wars’ Battle MC, Dies at 61

Sparky D, born Doreen C. Broadnax, is shown in an undated publicity photo. Broadnax, the Brownsville, Brooklyn, rapper whose 1985 answer record “Sparky’s Turn (Roxanne You’re Through)” made her a key voice in the Roxanne Wars, died July 4 at 61. No cause of death has been announced.

Sparky D, born Doreen C. Broadnax, the Brownsville, Brooklyn, MC whose 1985 answer record “Sparky’s Turn (Roxanne You’re Through)” made her one of the defining voices of the Roxanne Wars, has died. She was 61.

Her death was announced over the holiday weekend by her family. No cause of death has been announced.

She first recorded with the Brooklyn group The Playgirls, then broke out on her own with “Sparky’s Turn,” a direct response to Roxanne Shanté’s “Roxanne’s Revenge.” The record arrived during one of rap’s earliest full-scale lyrical wars, when answer records were not social media events but actual vinyl releases, pressed, shipped and judged by DJs, radio listeners and crowds.

The Roxanne Wars began after UTFO’s “Roxanne, Roxanne,” a 1984 record built around a fictional woman who rejected the group’s advances. Roxanne Shanté, then a teenage MC from Queensbridge, answered with “Roxanne’s Revenge.” The response was sharp, funny and ruthless enough to create its own industry.

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Then came the replies to the reply.

Sparky D’s entry stood out because it did not sound like a novelty record or a quick cash-in. She came at Shanté with a hard Brooklyn delivery and the confidence of someone who understood the assignment before there was a phrase for it. “Sparky’s Turn” was not just part of the Roxanne craze. It became one of the records that made the feud feel like a real fight.

The rivalry soon moved beyond wax. Sparky D and Shanté appeared together in staged battles, sometimes leaning into the boxing imagery that surrounded the feud. In 1985, the conflict was captured on “Round One: Roxanne Shanté vs. Sparky Dee,” one of the most memorable documents from rap’s first great answer-record era.

For a later generation raised on diss tracks, beef timelines and endless commentary, the Roxanne Wars can sound almost quaint. They were anything but. They proved that rap audiences would follow conflict across records, boroughs, radio stations and personalities. They also proved that women MCs were not side characters in hip-hop’s competitive tradition.

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DJ Premier, in an Instagram tribute, called her “one of the 1st Female Battle MC’s” and said her “relentless voice and delivery” made her a force.

“I became an instant fan,” Premier wrote, recalling her battles with Shanté.

MC Sha-Rock, one of hip-hop’s first women on record and a founding member of Funky 4 + 1, wrote that “the HIP HOP WORLD has taken a tremendous loss.”

Grandmaster Flash called Sparky D “one of the dopest female MCs from back in the day.”

That praise carries weight because Sparky D’s career connects two crucial eras: the foundational days when women such as Sha-Rock helped open the door, and the mid-1980s moment when MCs such as Shanté and Sparky D kicked it wider through battle records, street-level radio and live performance.

Sparky D understood that lineage. At a 2021 Bronx event honoring MC Sha-Rock, she said, “Without MC Sha-Rock, my mother, there would be no me.”

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After “Sparky’s Turn,” she continued recording through the 1980s. Her catalog included “He’s My DJ” with Kool DJ Red Alert, “Throwdown,” “Sparky’s Back” and the 1988 album “This Is Sparky D’s World” on B-Boy Records. The records placed her in the same gritty independent ecosystem that helped define New York rap before major labels fully understood the music’s commercial power.

Her life after the first wave of fame was not easy. Sparky D later spoke publicly about addiction, abuse and the doors that closed once her early rap run slowed. In a 2007 profile, she described herself as a woman who had been through hardship and come out with faith intact.

“You gotta go through something in order to grow,” she said.

In later years, Broadnax turned toward Christianity, gospel rap and ministry. She moved to Atlanta, founded Treasure Ministries and won a Gospel Choice Award in 2007 for “This Is for the Church.” That part of her story mattered, too. It was not a footnote after hip-hop. It was how she chose to keep using her voice.

Diddy’s Pardon Push Reenters Trump’s Orbit

President Donald Trump, shown in his official 2025 White House portrait, has not announced clemency for Sean “Diddy” Combs, but the music mogul’s name has returned to private pardon discussions as Trump weighs a new round of clemency actions. 

Sean “Diddy” Combs’ name is back in President Donald Trump’s clemency orbit.

That does not mean a pardon is coming.

CBS News reported Friday that Trump is poised to pardon a group of people convicted of emissions and clean-air-related violations while still privately discussing other possible clemency moves, including Combs and other high-profile figures. According to the report, Combs and those other celebrity cases were not expected to be on the recommendations list from Trump’s pardon team.

That leaves Combs in a familiar place: close enough to power to be part of the conversation, but not close enough to know whether the door is actually open.

Combs is serving a 50-month federal sentence after a jury convicted him last year on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He was acquitted of the more serious sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges, a split verdict that turned what could have been a life-sentence case into a shorter prison term — but still left one of hip-hop’s most powerful figures behind bars.

A White House official told CBS that “President Trump is the ultimate decider on any clemency related actions.”

The line matters because Combs’ case has never fit neatly into the normal legal lane. It has always carried the weight of celebrity, old New York money circles, hip-hop history, ugly trial testimony, political ego and a pardon system that often runs on access as much as argument.

Trump has been asked about Combs repeatedly since the case became a national spectacle. During Combs’ trial in May 2025, Trump said nobody had formally asked him for a pardon yet, but that he would look at the facts.

“I’d look at what’s happening, and I haven’t been watching it too closely although it’s certainly getting a lot of coverage,” Trump told reporters at the time, according to Reuters.

By October, after Combs had been sentenced, Trump said the request had come.

“A lot of people have asked me for pardons,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I call him Puff Daddy, [he] has asked me for a pardon.”
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In January, Trump told The New York Times that Combs had asked for a pardon “through a letter,” but said he was not considering clemency then. Trump also said Combs’ past criticism made a pardon “more difficult to do,” according to Entertainment Weekly’s account of the interview.

That history is part of why the story keeps resurfacing.

Long before Trump became president and long before Combs became a convicted federal inmate, they occupied overlapping corners of celebrity Manhattan. Trump attended Combs’ 1998 Black and White Ball, where The New York Observer quoted him saying, “I don’t give a s--- about Puffy’s success. I just think he’s a good guy.”

Years later, Combs still described Trump as a friend while talking about mogul culture, race and the image of American business power.

“Donald Trump is a friend of mine, and he works very hard,” Combs told The Washington Post in 2015.

That was before the political break. By 2020, Combs had turned sharply against Trump, endorsed Joe Biden and told Charlamagne tha God that “white men like Trump need to be banished.”

Now, the relationship sits in a much different frame. Combs is no longer the Bad Boy mogul who made wealth look like a music video. He is a federal prisoner appealing his conviction and sentence, with his name appearing again in the same clemency conversation as Prakazrel “Pras” Michel of the Fugees.

CBS reported Friday that Michel, who is serving a 14-year federal sentence in a foreign-influence case tied to Malaysian financier Jho Low, is also seeking a pardon. The Justice Department said after Michel’s 2023 conviction that he engaged in an illegal foreign-influence campaign using millions of dollars in foreign money.

That gives the latest pardon talk a wider hip-hop frame. This is not just one fallen mogul hoping an old acquaintance can shorten his sentence. It is another moment where rap celebrity, political access and federal punishment are sharing the same room.

Trump has done this before.

In his final hours in office in 2021, Trump granted a full pardon to Lil Wayne and commuted Kodak Black’s prison sentence. He also commuted the sentence of Death Row Records co-founder Michael “Harry-O” Harris, whose release was publicly supported by Snoop Dogg.

Those cases were different from Combs’ case, legally and publicly. But they helped establish the pattern: Trump’s clemency decisions can move through celebrity circles, personal appeals, political allies and public pressure as much as through quiet paperwork.

That is why Combs’ name returning to the discussion is news, even if it is not yet a pardon.

The facts are still narrower than the noise around them. Trump has not announced clemency for Combs. CBS reported Combs was not expected to be on the main pardon team’s recommendations list Friday. Combs remains convicted, sentenced and incarcerated while his legal fight continues.

But the door is not fully closed, either.

For an artist who helped define the shiny, ruthless ambition of late-90s hip-hop, the possibility now hangs on a very different kind of access: whether a president who once called him a good guy, later heard him become a critic, and now controls his clemency fate decides there is anything left to reward.

New HBO Docuseries 'Jaÿ-Z in 8' Anchors Sprawling Rollout Alongside '4:44' Catalog Expansion

In this promotional still rapper and entrepreneur Shawn "JAY-Z" Carter, left, converses with legendary record producer Rick Rubin across an audio console during production of the upcoming HBO original documentary series "JAŸ-Z IN 8." The eight-part archival project, announced alongside the wide streaming release of his "4:44" bonus tracks and a city-wide 30th-anniversary celebration for his 1996 debut album "Reasonable Doubt," is scheduled to debut this fall. (Courtesy HBO)

Jay-Z is celebrating the ninth anniversary of his 2017 studio album "4:44" by finally releasing the project's three bonus tracks across all major streaming platforms.

The songs — "Adnis," "Blue's Freestyle/We Family" featuring Blue Ivy Carter, and "MaNyfaCedGod" featuring James Blake — arrived on services like Apple Music and Spotify on Tuesday. The records were previously locked as physical edition cuts and Tidal exclusives.

The digital expansion arrives during a massive week of cultural domination for the Roc Nation founder.

HBO recently announced "JAŸ-Z IN 8," a new eight-part original documentary series directed by legendary producer Rick Rubin that will debut this fall. The project places Rubin in extended, intimate conversation with the artist across his music, lyrics, and life experiences. The network's promotional press materials released for the series include a telling quote directly from Carter: “The pain, you don't say it's necessary, you don't say you need it, but if it's there — you use it.”

The album's wider release also serves as a reminder of the strict discipline required during his late-career rollouts. Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz, the directors behind the "Kill Jay Z" video, recently reflected on the intense secrecy surrounding the project. “We had a zero-tolerance policy on any discussion of the project, period,” the directors noted, explaining that they could not even tell their own families about the album for fear of leaks.

Simultaneously, the rapper is taking over New York City to mark the 30th anniversary of his landmark 1996 debut album, "Reasonable Doubt".

The milestone is being celebrated with immersive, dual-location pop-up activations that opened on June 25 in Manhattan and Brooklyn, with the Brooklyn installation housed at 92 Plymouth Street. The interactive exhibits, which run through July 5, offer fans a multi-sensory journey through the album's historical archival memories. To tie the milestones together, Roc Nation announced a free giveaway of the "4:44" cassette to the first 44 visitors at the Dumbo pop-up location.

The ongoing celebration leads directly into a highly anticipated, multi-night concert series at Yankee Stadium next weekend. Scheduled for July 10, July 11, and July 12, the stadium dates are designed to double as a historical victory lap.

Victor Willis, Village People Singer and “Y.M.C.A.” Co-Writer, Dies At 74

Victor Willis is shown in a promotional photo from the Village People’s “Cruisin’” album era. Willis, the group’s original lead singer and a co-writer of “Y.M.C.A.,” “Macho Man” and “In the Navy,” died Tuesday after a short but aggressive illness. He was 74.

Victor Willis, the original lead singer of the Village People and the voice behind some of disco’s most durable records, has died. He was 74.

Willis died Tuesday after a “short, but aggressive illness,” according to a statement posted to his official Facebook page by his wife, Karen Huff-Willis.

“It is with profound sadness that I must announce the death of my husband, Victor Willis,” the statement said. “The family requests privacy at this time of great loss.”

Willis was the visual and vocal center of the Village People, best known for performing as the group’s policeman and, later, in a naval officer’s uniform. But his place in music history is larger than the costume.

He was the group’s original lead singer and a key songwriter behind its biggest records, including “Y.M.C.A.,” “Macho Man” and “In the Navy.” Those songs turned the Village People into one of the defining acts of the disco era and kept Willis’ voice moving through weddings, sporting events, Pride celebrations, political rallies and dance floors for nearly 50 years.

For all the camp and theater built into the Village People’s image, Willis brought a real R&B foundation to the records. The son of a Baptist preacher, he developed his voice in church before moving through theater and eventually into the studio with French producer Jacques Morali.

That background mattered. Willis’ baritone gave the group’s biggest hits a force that could cut through the glitter. The records were fun, but they were not lightweight. The hooks worked because Willis delivered them like he believed every command.

His catalog kept him in the news long after disco’s commercial peak.

In the 2010s, Willis became a major figure in the fight over copyright termination rights, using provisions of U.S. copyright law to win back control of his share of Village People songs. The case was closely watched across the music business because it showed how legacy songwriters could challenge old publishing deals decades after signing them.

Willis also spent his later years protecting the meaning, ownership and use of the group’s music. He objected at times to the use of Village People songs in politics, later defended Donald Trump’s use of “Y.M.C.A.” and repeatedly pushed back against descriptions of the song as a gay anthem, even as the record remained deeply tied to LGBTQ culture in the public imagination.

Teyana Taylor, Clipse Win Big As BET Awards Honor Lauryn Hill

Lauryn Hill did not need a victory lap.

The BET Awards gave her one anyway Sunday night, and by the time Hill finished closing the show with “Everything Is Everything,” the point had been made.

The 2026 BET Awards had a first-time host in Druski and a winners list stacked with current names. Cardi B, Kendrick Lamar, Kehlani, Leon Thomas, Doechii, SZA, Olivia Dean, Michael B. Jordan and A’ja Wilson were among the artists, actors and athletes taking home trophies.

But the show’s best moments came when BET stopped chasing the present and let Black music history breathe.

Hill received the inaugural Living Legend Icon Award. Janet Jackson surprised Teyana Taylor with the Icon of the Year Award. Clipse turned a comeback run into a three-win night. Sylvia Rhone used an industry honor to warn the music business about artificial intelligence. BET also paused for a tribute to D’Angelo, whose influence still shapes the way modern R&B moves.

That was the story of the night. The winners list belonged to 2026. The show’s soul came from the people who made that list possible.

Druski, 31, made history as the youngest host in BET Awards history, passing Kevin Hart, who hosted in 2011. He opened the broadcast by descending from the rafters in a harness while a choir performed Kirk Franklin’s “Revolution,” setting the tone for a night built around comedy, spectacle, church language and Black cultural memory.

The awards themselves delivered a few clean verdicts.

Clipse won Album of the Year for “Let God Sort Em Out,” Best Group and Best Collaboration for “Chains & Whips” featuring Kendrick Lamar. For Pusha T and Malice, it was more than a nostalgia win. It was a confirmation that the duo’s return landed as one of the year’s major hip-hop stories.

Kendrick Lamar won Best Male Hip-Hop Artist. Cardi B won Best Female Hip-Hop Artist. Kehlani won Best Female R&B/Pop Artist and Video of the Year for “Folded.” Leon Thomas won Best Male R&B/Pop Artist. Olivia Dean won Best New Artist. Doechii and SZA won the BET Her Award for “girl, get up.”

Then came Taylor’s moment.

Taylor had already won Best Actress, Video Director of the Year and the Fashion Vanguard Award before Jackson walked onstage to present her with the Icon of the Year Award.

Taylor looked stunned before she reached the microphone. By the time she hugged Jackson, the award had turned into something more personal than another industry handoff.

“There will be no me without you,” Taylor told Jackson.

Taylor has spent years moving between music, film, choreography, fashion, directing and performance, often without the industry knowing exactly where to place her. BET’s honor finally treated that range as the point.
Hill’s honor carried a different kind of weight.

Introduced by Ice Cube, Hill received the first Living Legend Icon Award after a tribute that revisited the catalog that made her one of the most important artists of the last 30 years. SZA, Doechii, Lizzo, Queen Latifah, Common and Hill’s children Selah Marley and Zion Marley were among those involved in the salute.

Hill stood through the tribute smiling, singing along and applauding as other artists worked through pieces of her legacy. Then she stepped into it herself.

After accepting the award, Hill performed “Ex-Factor.” Later, she closed the show with “Everything Is Everything.”

“I fight for y’all,” Hill said.

BET also honored Rhone with the Ultimate Icon Award, recognizing one of the most important executives in modern Black music.

Presented by Kelly Rowland, the award celebrated Rhone’s barrier-breaking career, including her place as the first Black woman to lead a major record company owned by a Fortune 500 corporation. A video tribute connected her work to artists including Tracy Chapman, Brandy, Erykah Badu, Lil Wayne, Kid Cudi, Future, Travis Scott and Tyler, the Creator.

Rhone did not use the moment just to look back.

“We make the algorithm,” Rhone said. “The algorithm doesn’t make us.”

The same point ran through BET’s tribute to D’Angelo.

His children helped open the segment before Ari Lennox, BJ the Chicago Kid, Durand Bernarr, George Clinton and RAYE honored his music. It was a reminder that D’Angelo’s reach is still easy to hear in modern soul — in the space, the swing, the church, the funk and the refusal to rush the feeling.

By the end of the night, the BET Awards had done what award shows rarely do well.

It named the current winners without pretending the current moment created itself.

2026 BET Awards

Full winners list

Clipse, Kehlani, Leon Thomas, Cardi B, Kendrick Lamar and Teyana Taylor were among the major winners during a night that also honored Ms. Lauryn Hill and Sylvia Rhone.

Music

Album of the Year

“Let God Sort Em Out,” Clipse

Best Group

Clipse

Best Collaboration

“Chains & Whips,” Clipse feat. Kendrick Lamar

Best Female R&B/Pop Artist

Kehlani

Best Male R&B/Pop Artist

Leon Thomas

Best Female Hip-Hop Artist

Cardi B

Best Male Hip-Hop Artist

Kendrick Lamar

Best New Artist

Olivia Dean

Video of the Year

“Folded,” Kehlani

Video Director of the Year

Teyana “Spike-Tey” Taylor

BET Her Award

“girl, get up.,” Doechii feat. SZA

Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award

“Headphones,” Lecrae, Killer Mike and T.I.

Film, TV and culture

Best Actress

Teyana Taylor

Best Actor

Michael B. Jordan

Best Movie

“Sinners”

YoungStars Award

Jazzy’s World TV

Fashion Vanguard Award

Teyana Taylor

Pulse Award

Druski

Sports

Sportswoman of the Year AWARD

A’ja Wilson, basketball

Sportsman of the Year AWARD

Jalen Brunson, basketball

Special honors

Living Legend Icon Award

Ms. Lauryn Hill

Icon of the Year Award

Teyana Taylor

Ultimate Icon Award

Sylvia Rhone

Note: BET’s nominees page still listed Viewers’ Choice Award voting and did not mark a Viewers’ Choice winner at the time this story was checked.

Erykah Badu Announces ‘LIVE’ Tour With De La Soul and The Alchemist

Erykah Badu’s “LIVE” tour with The Alchemist and De La Soul pairs neo-soul, hip-hop history and underground production on a September run scheduled to open Sept. 10, 2026, in Highland Park, Ill., and close Sept. 29 in Los Angeles. (Live Nation/313 Presents)

After spending last year revisiting "Mama’s Gun," Erykah Badu has announced "Live: A September Tour," a run that pairs her with De La Soul and The Alchemist — a bill that makes more sense the longer you sit with it.

The title may tug at anyone who remembers Badu’s 1997 live album, "Live," the record that gave "Tyrone" its permanent place in the R&B conversation. But this is not being billed as an anniversary tour. It reads more like Badu using the stage as the center of the story again.

That matters with this lineup.

The Alchemist is not just a left-field name on the poster. Badu and the Beverly Hills producer spent 2025 building toward "Abi & Alan," a collaborative project that has already produced the June 2025 single "Next to You" and remains a vital part of their shared orbit. His presence keeps this from becoming a clean nostalgia package. He brings the dust, the tension, and the kind of loops that make a room lean forward.

De La Soul brings a different kind of weight. The Long Island group is no longer just a beloved catalog act finally freed from streaming limbo. Last year’s "Cabin in the Sky" gave De La Soul a new chapter after the 2023 death of co-founder David "Trugoy the Dove" Jolicoeur, carrying grief, memory, and joy without turning the group into a museum piece.

That is where the bill gets interesting.

Badu’s catalog has always lived between soul, hip-hop, jazz, church smoke, and side-eye. "On & On" introduced her in 1997 as something more complicated than a standard R&B star. "Bag Lady" turned emotional baggage into a hook. "Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip Hop)" made the connection plain for anybody who somehow missed it.

De La Soul helped build a version of rap that could be funny, strange, smart, wounded, soulful, and still fully hip-hop. The Alchemist has spent the modern era proving that a beat can still sound dangerous without raising its voice.

So no, this is not a random throwback package.

It is Badu, De La Soul, and The Alchemist standing in the same old conversation from three different corners: the singer who never separated soul from rap, the rap group that never separated jokes from depth, and the producer who still knows what to do with a dirty record.

The tour includes a Friday, Sept. 11, stop at the Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre in Sterling Heights, Michigan, according to venue promoter 313 Presents. The show begins at 8 p.m., with tickets scheduled to go on sale Friday, June 26, at 10 a.m. local time through BaduWorld.market.

Badu’s official calendar lists the run opening Sept. 10 at the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Illinois. It continues through Toronto; Cleveland; Uncasville, Connecticut; Forest Hills, New York; Washington; Indianapolis; Denver; San Diego; Berkeley, California; Highland, California; and Los Angeles.

Venues in Tampa and San Antonio Refuse to Block Kanye West Summer Stadium Dates

Rapper Kanye West is shown alongside the cover art for his album "BULLY". West is currently at the center of a major political standoff in Texas and Florida, where local officials have confirmed his upcoming summer stadium tour dates will proceed as scheduled despite intense public pressure and organized campaigns from lawmakers demanding their cancellation.

Kanye West is facing intense, organized political campaigns to cancel his upcoming stadium performances in Texas and Florida. However, local officials in both states have confirmed that the concerts are officially moving forward.

In Texas, San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones has spent the last week actively calling for the cancellation of West's scheduled Fourth of July concert at the Alamodome. The mayor publicly condemned the artist for his history of antisemitic comments. On Tuesday evening, however, Jones conceded that she had failed to gather enough support from the city council to block the performance.

"At this point, the only way to cancel this concert is if we have a public vote," Jones said Tuesday. "And we don't have the votes."

A joint statement issued by six members of the San Antonio City Council on Tuesday outlines their refusal to cancel Ye's scheduled July 4 concert at the Alamodome. The document strongly condemns antisemitism while arguing against government censorship and highlighting that the event is projected to generate $1.7 million for the city-owned venue.

A coalition of six San Antonio city council members released a joint statement outlining their refusal to break the venue's agreement. The group stated that "the City does not endorse his rhetoric by allowing the use of a public venue, just as a public library does not endorse every book's viewpoint simply by carrying it." The council members noted that they can condemn hate "without resorting to censorship, which could set a precedent toward limiting expression based on objectionable viewpoints."

The July 4 concert is projected to generate roughly $1.7 million for the city. The Alamodome staff stated the booking was treated as a standard economic decision based on public demand and facility revenue.

A nearly identical controversy is currently unfolding in Florida. U.S. Senator Rick Scott has launched a petition and directly urged the Tampa Sports Authority to cancel two West concerts scheduled for June 26 and June 28 at Raymond James Stadium.

"Floridians DON’T deserve to see their tax dollars go to give an antisemite a megaphone," Scott posted on social media.

Despite the pressure, internal communications reveal that the Tampa Sports Authority is locked into an agreement. According to the emails, the venue agreed to contract stipulations that prevent the organization from canceling the performances based on "artist identity," "public statements," or "political viewpoints." The organization stated that while they do not condone his remarks, they must "follow the principles of free speech in operating our venue."

Beau Williams, Houston-Born Gospel And R&B Singer, Dies At 76

Beau Williams, the Houston-born gospel and R&B singer known for “Wonderful” and his national exposure on “Star Search,” is shown in an undated promotional photo. Williams died June 17 after battling cancer. He was 76.

Beau Williams, the Houston-born gospel and R&B singer best known to old-school audiences for winning on “Star Search” and to gospel fans for his signature song “Wonderful,” has died. He was 76.

Williams died June 17 after battling cancer, according to a family statement posted to his Facebook page and a remembrance from PATH MEGAzine publisher Kris Patrick, who wrote that Williams had been “quietly fighting cancer.”

Born and raised in Houston, Williams grew up in a musical church family. His father was a pastor, his mother led the choir and his siblings sang. He later moved to Los Angeles, where George Benson helped him land a recording contract with Capitol Records.

Williams crossed into national view in the 1980s after appearing on “Star Search,” where he dethroned a longtime champion Sam Harris, who had become one of the show’s early breakout stars.

But Williams’ deepest mark came in gospel.

After recording R&B albums for Capitol, Williams signed with Light Records and returned to gospel music. His 1989 project “Wonderful” became his defining release, reaching No. 2 on Billboard’s gospel albums chart.

The Recording Academy lists Williams as a 1990 Grammy nominee for “Wonderful” in the best soul gospel performance, male category.

Williams’ catalog also included “Walk Around Heaven,” “Say Yes,” “Higher,” “Love” and “Power.” 

A public homegoing celebration is scheduled for Saturday, June 27, at The Fountain of Praise, 13950 Hillcroft Ave. in Houston. Public viewing is scheduled from 9 to 11 a.m., followed by the Celebration of Life service at 11 a.m.

Williams is survived by his wife, Elvina; daughters Nicole, Monica and Janetta; and son James.