My son just discovered the music of fellow Hoosier Rich Mullins.
We have a tribute CD that includes “Awesome God,” “Hold Me, Jesus,” and “Elijah,” among others, and my son has been playing it nonstop. In fact, the first thing he does upon waking up is flip on the stereo and press play to start off the day with “Awesome God.” He loves that particular song so much, he’ll often stop the CD somewhere in the middle of another song and restart the whole thing to hear “Awesome God” yet again. I didn’t keep an exact count, but a couple of days ago I’m sure we heard just that one song at least 15 times in a row. The girls get a little tired of it, but I honestly don’t mind.
Today my son woke up, came downstairs, walked straight to the entertainment center and clicked “play.” This time, however, after “Awesome God” was over, he let it continue deeper into the CD. I was working in the kitchen and started thinking about Rich and his tragic death. Then “Elijah” came on. I listened to the lyrics and wondered how hard it must have been for Gary Chapman to sing it knowing Rich was gone.
Then I remembered the day I met Rich Mullins in a tiny church in a tiny town in southern Indiana.
My roommate Patty invited several friends to join her for the concert. We drove about 20 minutes or so from our university town to Ellettsville, Indiana, where he played a gigantic grand piano that filled what seemed like at least one-fourth of the small-town church. I vaguely recall someone saying it was brought in especially for the concert, and that would have been easy to believe. It didn’t feel like a grand piano kind of church.
Of the music he played that day, I remember most clearly his rendition of “Sing Your Praise to the Lord.” Amy Grant made it famous (this may be the version you remember), but Rich Mullins wrote it.
Here’s Rich performing it years after the Ellettsville concert (this is a little understated compared to his rendition that night I heard him, when he overflowed more energy and passion).
The reason the Ellettsville concert—and my attendance—took place…was a girl. I can’t remember her name, but she was a friend of Patty’s in whom Rich was romantically interested. I just read the Wikipedia page for Rich and saw this quote:
Mullins was engaged sometime between the late ’70’s and early ’80’s and had written the song “Doubly Good To You” (recorded by Amy Grant on her album “Straight Ahead”) for the wedding. However, his fiancée broke off the engagement, at which time Mullins wrote “Damascus Road.”
Was she the fiancee? Was he trying to reconnect with her and woo her back? I don’t know, but the timing would be about right. And she did seem uncomfortable. I don’t think she smiled the entire evening, but I could be wrong. It was a long time ago—probably 1987—and I may not have been paying much attention to anyone other than Rich.
After the concert, Rich was eager to talk with the girl. And the girl was with us. After he signed autographs and thanked people who came, the place cleared out and he came over to our group. We all stood around chatting with Rich Mullins.
I was an enthusiastic young believer at the time and beside myself with joy to be standing next to Rich Mullins. When we finally wrapped things up and said our goodbyes, I spontaneously leaped forward and hugged him.
I hugged Rich Mullins. As hugs go, it could have been a bit overwhelming, because at that point in my life I didn’t give space-respecting sideways hugs. I affectionately wrapped my arms around people and squeezed tightly.
I saw him in concert several years later, but didn’t hug him. Not that time. It was only that once. And if he remembered me from that Ellettsville encounter (he probably didn’t, because he was definitely focused on Patty’s friend; but it’s remotely possible), he may have purposefully maneuvered himself around the building to avoid me.
I only hugged Rich; I didn’t really know him at all, no more or less than any of us who have appreciated his music and the heart and soul and humor and humility behind his work. But today, listening to “Elijah” and the other songs, I felt a pang of Rich-Mullins-loss.
So today, I listened to “Creed,” which expresses the core beliefs that he and I share while I stand on this side of the Jordan and he dances on the other:
“I believe in the resurrection/I believe in a life that never ends.”
Will we give big squeezy hugs in heaven?
Please don’t ever stop ….”affectionately wrapping your arms around people and squeezing tightly”. Please!
🙂 People are funny about hugs, I have found. And I’m no longer sure an adult married woman should throw herself against an adult man she’s only just met, chest to chest, if you will. But friend to friend, woman to woman, that’s different. If I ever get to meet you in person, Kathleen, you get the biggest, squeeziest hug I can muster!
Rich has been important to our family, to my boys, even though we’ve never met. I was saddened by his death and I miss him, too. I miss the songs he might have written. To this day, I never pretend to understand what happened to him.
But I’m really glad we have his songs. My favorite album? “Songs” His last, the best.
The songs he might have written….someone who writes music once told me that Rich’s songs were, from a technical standpoint (musically), sloppy. According to her, they really weren’t superbly written.
But look how they’ve lasted.
And think of the truth or the heart or the honesty that poured out.
I’m not musical, so I have no idea if that composer was right, but sloppy or not, people responded to his work; they identified or joined him in what he was expressing.
You mention “Songs.” I wonder if I have that one? I have some that were recorded by the ragamuffin band after Rich’s death. They played the music based on a little micro cassette recording he made of the songs in a tiny rural church just a few days or weeks before his death.
Is that it?
I don’t think so. “Songs” was his last completed album which came out shortly before his death. On the cover is a picture of him in front of a church.
To me, it’s hands-down his best album ever — the most mature rendering of a man’s passionate pursuit of God.
Yes, Rich was flawed. But which of us isn’t? He wrote from the heart, and to the heart it went, straight.
He was QUITE a man, quite an artist . . .
(As a fellow um, REFORMED, full-on squeezy hugger, I am counting on squeezy hugs to be fully redeemed and completely embraced in heaven!)
(Your vision for heavenly hugs is, well, heavenly! I like the idea of full-on squeezy hugs being completely embraced without any questions about propriety.)
I learned so much tonight reading your post. I’ve sung Rich Mullins songs but never knew much about him. Went to Wikipedia and was impressed by what I learned. The songs will have even more meaning now.
And, I’m all for real hugs. However, I agree with you, Ann. Between a man and woman, we need to be careful.
Blessings,
Janis
Janis, I’m glad you heard my concern about hugs. More importantly, I’m glad to introduce some of the details of Rich’s life to you!
That is a wonderful idea! I wonder if I can get some of my friends to get together for an organic evening! And the food looks wonderful.
Ann,
Pangs, indeed. He was true.
Grow your boy on a steady diet of his work. And when he’s old enough may he find the layers of truth in Liturgy, Legacy.
It was doubly good to read this.
“nobody tells you when you get born here how much you’ll come to love it and how you’ll never belong here.”
EXACTLY IT! “Rich-Mullins-loss” is exactly what I am suffering. Perfect, Ann.
But it’s so wonderful he’s left behind all of these wonderful songs to point us to the Savior!
Thank God! I missed my opportunity to hug him at a concert in Portland, Maine. I never felt such pain! He actually said (and I paraphrase), “People say, wow Rich you are blessed to be able to play guitar like you do. I say throw I’d rather throw down this guitar and hug someone.” My spirit screamed inside my chest, “ME!!!!!!! HUG ME!!! say it, say it, shout it!!!!!” I kept quiet. Ugh! WHAT A REGRET!
Oh, what a beautiful, poignant story. I imagine if Rich read this, he’d say, “Go out and hug a bunch of people for me, since I’m not able to do it anymore.” I hope you find someone who is in great need of a hug, and you can give them a big one, from you and from Rich.
That’s so funny that you talk of the concert seeming to be “about a girl.” I am interested in who Patty’s friend was. LOL! I recently discovered Pamela Richards who has written a book entitled Singing From Silence. She was close with Rich from 1974 to 1984. Does Patty know if it might have been Pam? I would like to know if this is who Rich was engaged to. It’s hard to find this site today and read about a nameless mystery girl that you think could very well have been this special fiance. I would like to read Pamela’s book if she was, in fact, his fiance of 10 years but have not been able to establish this as fact. All I’ve read so far is from her blog, A Candle to the Sun. The blog seems to imply such a possibility and Pam did marry someone else which is what Rich says happened. If you are still able to communicate with Patty, perhaps she will remember this mystery girl’s name. 🙂 Please let me know should it be Pamela Richards! This bit of history would be golden!
Sorry, I don’t remember her name. The mystery remains!
I have heard from unnamed sources that were close to him, that her story is not verified. From that, I would say it definitely was not her.
Maybe that’s for the best…the way Rich would have wanted it.
Pamela Richard’s’ account of her relationship with Rich Mullins in college is very accurate, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! However, Pamela was married in 1980, and she never saw Rich Mullins .again after 1984, so she was not the woman in Ellettsville.
How interesting!
In the movie about his life, which might have been Ragamuffin movie, his engagement and the girl was part of it and according to the movie his heart was broken badly when she broke the engagement and it affected him badly. In the movie she broke up with him when he a contract for his song that Any Grant wanted to sing and he needed to move to Nashville. She never wanted to move around with a musician and wanted a home and children and knew she wouldn’t have it if he became successful. She told him he had to go even though he would have stayed for her. Her name was mentioned in the movie but it they might not have used her real name. She would not talk to him after that and hung up whenever he called until one day she answered and told him she was getting married. He never married and I never heard anything about him dating anyone again,
Thanks for this information. I need to watch Ragamuffin.
Total fiction. The character of “Jess” in Ragamuffin is a composite character of several women with whom Rich had serious relationships. Rich did date again but his relationships were private and in keeping with his vow of chastity.
Thanks for your thoughtful replies, Jim, helping us get a clearer timeline! Did you know Rich personally? It’s so kind of you to help us get a glimpse of his personal life, since so many people have expressed their deep appreciation for him, his music, and his ministry.
Last night I watched the movie “Ragamuffin”. I stumbled across it on my Roku TV under the tubi channel. It’s the story of his life. Needless to say, I cried. I also learned so much about Rich that I never knew.
Thank you for reminding me of the movie, Donna. I think of Rich so often and when I do, I’m so grateful for what he gave this world.
I am so thankful that I got to live in the world when Rich Mullins was in it. I was blessed to see him three times in concert, two of which were in church settings and one was a smaller church where any seat was close to him and his piano. In my younger days, I would buy the Christian CD’s and read the lyrics. Rich’s words helped change my perspective on Christianity in general. I only just last night saw the movie, Ragamuffin, and I’m grieving all over again like it’s 1997 :'( I started just typing around on the internet about Rich and find soooo many people just like me, missing him still. It helps to read everyone else’s stories and thoughts about him. God bless.
Thank you for sharing your experiences and how you intersected with Rich in real life. There will never be another Rich.
If the concert that you described took place around 1987, then it is very unlikely that Rich was “romantically interested” in Patty’s friend. Rich had five very significant romantic relationships in his life – four of those women were married to someone else by 1986, He was very briefly engaged to a woman whom he met in Ireland in 1992, but he broke off that engagement after only a few weeks. Lastly, he met a woman in whom he was very interested in early 1997, but he died before that relationship could become serious. I guess the Lord wanted Rich to be single hearted and live only for Him.
Again, thank you for taking time to read and respond to these interactions and questions, Jim. You sound like you must have known him—or at least followed his life and career closely. Your insights will be helpful for people stumbling on this post in search of more about Rich.
Hi Ann,
Thanks for the interesting article! Do you happen to recall the name of the church where this concert in Ellettsville, Indiana took place and what month and year it took place? I saw Rich Mullins in concert in several different cities and towns in Indiana in the late 1980s, and this sounds very familiar to me, but I can’t recall the specific venue or date of the Ellettsville concert. Every concert of Rich’s was different and memorable in it’s own way. I wish he was still with us!
Thanks so much!
Theresa, it’s been sooooo long ago, I can’t be certain. But curiosity lured me onto Google maps to look up Ellettsville churches and see if I can feel a spark of memory. After looking at the buildings, I’m going to say it was probably Ellettsville First Baptist. I have no memory of the month, but it was probably 1988. I mentioned I saw him again, but I actually saw him in concert at least two other times.
Thank you so much! I appreciate it!
I saw Rich in concert in Roanoke, VA in 1996. I saw him after the concert, and I wish that I had given him a hug…
He was one-of-a-kind. I’m glad you got to see him and meet him, Carter.