CHICAGO – Grammy Award-winning singer Albertina Walker, who was known as the “Queen of Gospel,” has died at age 81.

Walker’s granddaughter, Tina Nance, said the gospel star died Friday morning of respiratory failure at RML Specialty Hospital in Chicago.

Walker formed her own gospel group, the Caravans, as a young woman and was a protege of gospel star Mahalia Jackson.

Nance remembers her grandmother wowing the cast of the Steve Martin movie “Leap of Faith” when she sang a solo for a scene. Nance, an extra in the 1992 movie, said filming stopped because so many of the actors were moved to tears by her performance.

Nance said Martin sent Walker a bouquet with a card that read, “You are truly the greatest gospel singer in the world.” Walker treasured it because she had admired Martin’s comedy.