Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, is grieving the sudden death of Jubilant Sykes, a Grammy-nominated gospel and opera vocalist who served for decades as a cherished member of its music ministry.
Police discovered the 71-year-old singer fatally stabbed in his home on Monday and subsequently arrested his son.
In a statement released Tuesday, the church reflected on its loss, emphasizing both sorrow and gratitude. “In moments like these, our church family gathers not only to mourn, but also to give thanks — to acknowledge together the goodness of God displayed in a life He graciously lent to us for a season,” the message said.
The congregation remembered Sykes as someone whose joyful spirit matched his name. “Jubilant was a man whose name suited him well. His life radiated the joy of one who had tasted the mercy of God. Though known to many around the world for his remarkable baritone voice, those of us who walked with him in fellowship came to treasure something far deeper: a humble, steady faith, and a heart that longed for the beauty of Christ to be seen and heard through everything he did.”
According to the Santa Monica Police Department, officers responded to a 911 call at Sykes’ residence on Delaware Avenue around 9:20 p.m. Monday regarding an assault in progress. Inside the home, police found Sykes “with critical injuries consistent with a stabbing,” and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
His 31-year-old son, Micah Sykes, was detained and taken into custody. Authorities noted that charges are forthcoming.
“The suspect will be booked for homicide, and the case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for filing consideration,” police stated. They also confirmed that forensic experts are examining evidence, including a weapon recovered at the scene, as the investigation continues.
Sykes, a classically trained vocalist, was celebrated for combining gospel, jazz, and folk influences into powerful performances worldwide. His artistic range earned him recognition across musical genres.
His distinguished career included a 2010 Grammy Award nomination for best classical album for his role in Leonard Bernstein’s “Mass.” Over the years, he collaborated with a wide array of notable performers, including Julie Andrews, Terence Blanchard, John Beasley, Renée Fleming, Josh Groban, Christopher Parkening, Patrice Rushen, Carlos Santana, Jennifer Warren and Brian Wilson.
Grace Community Church reflected on Sykes’ lifelong musical calling, noting how God had guided his artistry from an early age.
“From his earliest years in Los Angeles to his first time singing at Grace Church in 1978, God was shaping in Jubilant a gift that would one day draw audiences into a place of reflection and wonder. Whether he was singing opera or classical to thousands outside the church, or hymns and worship inside the church, there was always a distinct sincerity in his expression — a conviction that his voice was not his own but entrusted to him for the glory of God and the encouragement of others,” the church said.
“Above all, we remember Jubilant as a beloved brother. His presence among us was marked by generosity, warmth and a genuine love for the Word of God. He worshiped beside us, prayed with us, and found joy in the fellowship of believers. Many here will recall moments when his incomparable voice lifted our hearts heavenward — not as a performance, but as an offering.”
“As we grieve his earthly absence, we do so with the assurance he held dear: that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord,” the church affirmed. “The same Savior who sustained him in life now welcomes him into eternal joy, where every redeemed voice joins the song that does not fade.”
