Popular 90’s Christian Contemporary Music (CCM) artist and Gospel Music Association (GMA) Hall of Fame Member Carman died at the age of 65 on Tuesday February 16, 2021 due to a series of complications from a hiatal hernia surgery.
A Facebook post from his official site reads, “GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame member, CARMAN, passed away Tuesday, February 16, 2021 at a Las Vegas, Nevada hospital, after fighting a series of complications resulting from surgery to repair a hiatal hernia.”
Carman Licciardello’s Facebook account shared a post three weeks ago requesting prayer for the singer: “URGENT!!!! We need you to stop right now and pray.” The post detailed Carman was suffering from internal bleeding, pneumonia, failing kidneys, and a failing liver as a result of the surgery. A week earlier Carman posted a message while in the hospital on his birthday titling it “A Near Fatal Birthday,” and letting his followers know that his “father died at my age and my grandparents.” The full post read:
A near fatal birthday. January 19th is my birthday and I remembered that I only wrote one birthday song ever, and I want to share it with you. Maybe you can use it for someone else’s birthday too. Today I’m in the hospital, I was getting a hiatal hernia removed yesterday. But it turned into a near fatal scenario. For some reason, no one knows why, my blood pressure dropped to 66/43 and kept falling. It’s usually 135/89. I woke up from the anesthesia and saw 9 doctors and nurses standing around my bed buzzing about, deeply concerned. They worked for hours to get it going the other way. Now it’s almost 9:00. I’m waiting for blood transfusions and I’m on an intravenous drip. My father died at my age and my grandparents. So that’s been playing on my mind. But we’ve been here before and I need your help and prayers. I’m going to be here for a while so Please share this with your prayer warrior friends. Thank you once again for your fatefulness. I say it often from the stage, I don’t have fans I have intercessors and I have no doubt you keep me alive.
The two time cancer survivor released his first album in 1980 and would go on to record over twenty albums throughout the length of his career that sold over 10 million copies. Carman was nominated four times for a Grammy Award and won six GMA Dove Awards. The New Jersey born artist was known for the hits “The Champion,” “His Name Is Wonderful,” “Lazarus Come Forth,” and “Satan: Bite The Dust.”
Carman also holds the world record for the largest audience to ever see a single Christian artist.
The Christian singer often said his music and his concerts were first and foremost about sharing the gospel. Carmen’s manager said, “When Carman resumed touring again a few years ago, he was concerned that no one would care that he was back. He was wrong. Every night fans packed out venues and his ministry was as powerful as it ever was. This world has lost a light in the darkness but today Carman saw first hand the fruit of his labors.”
Carman was still touring in 2020, hosting free concerts at churches within the United States on his Legacy Tour, and had plans to start a 60-city tour later this month.
You can read the full announcement about Carman’s death, which was posted to his Facebook page, below:
GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame Member, CARMAN, Iconic CCM Trailblazer, Dies at Las Vegas Hospital
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (February 16, 2021) – GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame member, CARMAN, passed away Tuesday, February 16, 2021 at a Las Vegas, Nevada hospital, after fighting a series of complications resulting from surgery to repair a hiatal hernia.
Carman Dominic Licciardello, known to fans worldwide as “Carman,” was 65.
Born January 19, 1956 in Trenton, New Jersey, Carman began his musical career playing drums in his mother’s band at the age of 15. Carman holds the world record for having the largest audience to see a single Christian artist. He set the record for the largest concert at Texas Stadium with more than 71,000 fans and led more than 80,000 fans in worship in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Among his many awards, Carman received the House of Hope of Humanitarian Award for his positive influence in the lives of American youth in 2006, other noted recipients of this award include Ronald & Nancy Reagan and Billy Graham. The Gospel Music Association honored Carman with induction into the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2018. Billboard named Carman “Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year” in 1992 and 1995, and in 1993, his album, Addicted to Jesus, earned the distinction of Contemporary Christian Album of the Year. Carman was Grammy-nominated multiple times as the Best Pop Contemporary Gospel Artist. His recording, “A Long Time Ago in a Land Called Bethlehem” was nominated for “Album of the Year” by the Recording Academy in 1986.
In 1985, the release of his first #1 song, “The Champion,” solidified his place in music history and defined his soul-winning career as one of endurance, grit, dedication, and pure talent. Anyone who knew Carman knows that he counted only this as his greatest lifetime achievement – winning millions of souls to Christ.
Matt Felts, Carman’s manager, states: “When Carman resumed touring again a few years ago, he was concerned that no one would care that he was back. He was wrong. Every night fans packed out venues and his ministry was as powerful as it ever was. This world has lost a light in the darkness but today Carman saw first hand the fruit of his labors.
Carman was planning to embark on a 60-city tour later this month.
For more information, go to CarmanOnTour.com.
Media Contact: Aaron Crisler, Conduit Media
