R.I.P.: Patrick Ellis, Longtime WHUR D-C Gospel Host

Patrick Ellis

Patrick Ellis, longtime gospel music host on WHUR 96.3 FM, died July 16 from complications from COVID-19.  He was 77.

For five hours each Sunday morning, Ellis led a personal communion over the Washington airwaves, playing a mix of classic and contemporary gospel music while helping his listeners get ready for church and prepare for the coming week.

The Washington Post reports Ellis hosted WHUR-FM’s Sunday morning gospel program for more than four decades, building a devoted audience that made his “Gospel Spirit” show the most popular program in its time slot.

Ellis was a cornerstone of Howard University’s WHUR, one of the nation’s few university-owned commercial radio stations. He joined as a student volunteer shortly after its founding in 1971 and became the station’s production director in 1986.

While still working in production five days a week, Mr. Ellis became the anchor of what was then known as “Sunday Morning Gospel,” coming into the studio on Sundays for his 6 a.m. broadcasts. Launched in 1979, the program made him one of the most prominent figures in Washington’s gospel scene, alongside broadcasters like Lucille Banks Robinson Miller of WYCB-AM, Cal Hackett of WUST-AM and fellow WHUR host Jacquie Gales Webb.