Christian Music Megastar Carman Passed Away at 65 Years Old
Published Feb. 17 2021, 10:32 a.m. ET
The untimely passing of Christian music superstar Carman at just 65 years old has sent a shockwave through the evangelical music community that he is a legend within. The breakthrough musician, full name Carman Licciardello, had countless charted hits under his belt throughout his 40-year career in the industry and left a longstanding legacy on the entire subgenre of faith-based music.
In the wake of his unexpected death, many fans and religious devotees alike are searching for the true cause of Carman's death, and if there were any indicators that his time on Earth was coming to an end prior to the news breaking? Well, here's a breakdown of all the known details surrounding the loss of the multi-year winning Billboard "Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year."
Carman's cause of death seems to have been related to surgical complications.
The Christian music superstar's death seems to be related to unintended complications related to a routine surgical removal, according to a report posted to his official Facebook account. The post details Carman's cause of death specifically as a result of "fighting a series of complications resulting from surgery to repair a hiatal hernia."
Carman's health prior to the surgical mishap had undergone a miraculous rebound since his initial diagnosis with myeloma cancer in 2013. At the time, the singer was able to defeat the fairly advanced disease and return to touring in his full normal capacities. However, the compounding effects of being a cancer survivor and the serious nature of his most recent medical situation seem to be largely responsible for the tragic loss, which was reported during the late hours of Feb. 16, 2021.
Carman's family played an important role in the later years of his life.
A man deeply entrenched in his faith, Carman ensured he found the right woman for himself when he married Dana Licciardello in 2017 in Dallas, sharing a profound connection in both love and religious belief. The pair parented one son, five daughters, and nine grandchildren from his past together.
Despite his religious background, Carman was actually never officially married prior to 2017, and reports show that his family had largely either already passed away or were quite far from him for most of his life. Due to this, Carman's early days were full of individualism and self-fulfillment in the pursuit of faith, a unique upbringing that allowed him to develop into Christian music's most longtime star.
His pursuit of religious fulfillment and attempts to bring faith to a wider audience through music saw him garner impressive, even record-breaking accolades during his career. Carman still holds the record for the largest single-artist Christian concert in history, as well as a slew of achievements from Billboard, 15 gold and platinum albums, and record sales totaling over 10 million.