This week marks the tenth anniversary of the death of Rich Mullins. He was a great songwriter and musician, but he was more than that. He walked out his faith everyday.
On September 19, 1997 we lost one of the greats. Rich Mullins was one of the best songwriters of his time and he wasn't a bad musician either. He managed to reach high popularity while keeping a certain realism and honesty to his music.
I wasn't a Christian until after Rich's death, but his music touched me from the beginning. I remember singing "Awesome God" and "Step By Step" in church and then buying Rich's CDs after finding them in the music store. The more I listened to him and the more I read learned about him, the more I came to respect him.
He was so down to earth and didn't let fame get to him. The last years of his life he lived on an Indian reservation with his good friend, Mitch McVicker, and taught music. He had all of his royalties sent to his church and they gave him a small piece of that to live on.
Rich Mullins was not your average rock star. I'd venture to say that as famous as he was, he was not even close to a rock star. He did leave a great legacy and seemed like a cool guy. I wish I was able to meet him.
