Gospel Singer LaShun Pace Died After Failing to Receive a Kidney Transplant

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Published March 22 2022, 10:53 a.m. ET

News of a celebrity death is always met with a wave of grief, but fans of gospel singer LaShun Pace were particularly sorrowful following the news that she had died at the age of 60. The news of LaShun's death was confirmed by LaShun's family, and it led to plenty of confusion about how she had died and how long she had been sick.

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How did LaShun Pace die?

According to her sister Lydia speaking with 11Alive, LaShun was on dialysis for five years prior to her death waiting for a kidney transplant, and finally died of organ failure on March 21. The news of her death led to an outpouring of grief, as well as a reappreciation of the massive impact LaShun had on gospel music. At the peak of her fame, she was one of the biggest names in the entire genre.

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LaShun Pace had a long career in gospel music.

LaShun, who was 60 at the time of her death, was born in Alabama and first rose to prominence as a member of a group with her sisters, The Anointed Pace Sisters. The group, which was composed of nine sisters, got their start in local church and talent show performances, but eventually went on to be Grammy nominated. Although the group defined the earliest period of her stardom, LaShun had a long career on her own as well.

Today, she's likely best known for her songs "I Know I've Been Changed" and "Act Like You Know," which was first released in 1996 but has more recently been featured as a popular sound in some TikTok videos. Lydia said that LaShun was so excited about the song's return to prominence that it had encouraged her to begin work on another album, which will unfortunately go unfinished.

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LaShun was friends with a young Tyler Perry.

LaShun met Tyler Perry when he was working as a playwright, but the two have remained close ever since. Tyler and LaShun were so close, in fact, that he toured a play named after one of her songs, and Tyler even bought a house for LaShun's mother, fulfilling her lifelong dream of becoming a homeowner. LaShun's mother died in 2020 at the age of 82.

Source: Instagram
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LaShun was known as a trailblazer inside of her family, and she was the fifth of the nine daughters in the family. The oldest of the sisters, Duranice Pace, died last year. LaShun is survived by seven of her nine sisters as well as an adult daughter, Aarion Rhodes, who is also a singer.

"It was important for me to share my gifts and not just my gifts but to share the character that she instilled in me... the woman she groomed me to be," Aarion said recently.

LaShun's legacy as a major voice in gospel clearly lives on, and fans mourned the singer on social media throughout the day on March 21. Clearly, she'll be remembered, and her records will continue to bring joy and comfort to many.

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