Vanessa Brown Knowles from the gospel group Lisa Knowles Smith & The Brown Singers passes away in a fatal car crash
- Oct 3, 2025
- 1 min read
SAD NEWS! Gospel quartet singer, Vanessa Brown Knowles, has passed away from a fatal car accident!
Truck driver, Richard Allen Holden, has been charged with 3 counts of second-degree involuntary manslaughter in connection with the Jefferson County crash on I-55 on Sunday.
Missouri State Highway Patrol said his tractor-trailer was traveling about 70 mph when it crashed into cars that were slowed for construction work.
Eight vehicles were involved in the accident, with three people being killed. Two of those individuals were from Memphis, including Vanessa Brown Knowles. Five other people from the accident were also injured.
Vanessa Brown Knowles was a member of the Stellar Award winning gospel quartet, Lisa Knowles Smith & The Brown Singers. She can be heard on such songs as "Work On Me," "Jesus Is On the Main Line," and "Never Really Know."
The group won 2 Stellar Awards in 2024 for their album Live in Memphis 2: Traditional Duo/Chorus of the Year and Quartet of the Year.
Vanessa Brown Knowles is also the mother of the group's lead singer, Lisa Knowles Smith.
Vanessa Brown Knowles was just 63 years old.