Troy Sneed death: Gospel singer dies aged 52 after coronavirus battle

Singer earned a Grammy nomination for his work on Youth For Christ’s 1999 record ‘Higher’

Gospel singer Troy Sneed, who died at the age of 52 on Monday (Getty Images)

Grammy-nominated gospel singer Troy Sneed has died at the age of 52 due to complications caused by coronavirus.

Sneed died early on Monday at a hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, according to his publicist Bill Carpenter.

The singer earned a Grammy nomination for his work on Youth For Christ’s 1999 record Higher.

Sneed helped to form Youth For Christ, which comprised members aged 12-18 from the Georgia Mass Choir, and he produced their song “The Struggle Is Over”, which went to No1 on Billboard’s gospel chart in 2006.

Earlier in his career, Sneed sang with the Georgia Mass Choir and arranged music on their albums. He also appeared with the choir in The Preacher’s Wife, the 1996 film starring Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston.

Sneed released seven albums as a solo artist and had numerous successful tracks in the gospel world, including “My Heart Says Yes” and “Work It Out”, both of which reached No2 on Billboard’s gospel chart.

Sneed is survived by his wife, Emily, with whom he started a record label called Emtro, and their four children.