Rich Mullins

Richard Wayne Mullins (October 21, 1955 – September 19, 1997) was an American contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter best known for his worship songs "Awesome God" and "Sometimes by Step".

Mullins was inspired when the Beatles first appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.

The event helped Mullins understand the influence of music.

He was a fan of the Beatles music, and he was able to identify with John Lennon in particular, despite philosophical differences.

In his song "Elijah", written around the time of Lennon's murder, he included the phrase "candlelight in Central Park."

This was a reference to the candlelight vigils held in the wake of the event.

The places of the vigils went on to become a permanent memorial to John Lennon.

An important part of Mullins' early musical experience was being the pianist, songwriter and vocalist for the New Creations Choir in Richmond, Indiana, which was started by Tim and Bonnie Cummings in the early 1970s.

The choir toured numerous states in its own bus and even produced an album.

New Creations is a church and school for teens, and Mullins was a contributing factor in its beginning.

He graduated from Northeastern High School in 1974.

From 1974 to 1978, Mullins attended Cincinnati Bible College.

He worked in a parking garage to help pay for his schooling.

During this time Mullins performed with a college band, and later the band Zion, who released one album, for which he wrote all the songs.

From 1975 to 1978, he was the youth pastor and music director at the United Methodist Church in Erlanger.

Mullins was then focusing on his duties in the church, and performed minimally in public.

He considered his music a hobby.

His views on his music continued this way until 1978, when he took a group of teens from his church to the Ichthus Music Festival in Wilmore, Kentucky.

He said that during this trip he witnessed the effect of music on the lives of young people, and decided to start pursuing music full-time.

Mullins' start in the Christian music industry occurred in mid-1981 when Amy Grant recorded his song "Sing Your Praise to the Lord."

The decision was made to stop touring as "Zion," and for Mullins to start his solo career.

He moved to Bellsburg, Tennessee, approximately 45 minutes from Nashville, to begin his professional recording career.

Mullins got engaged sometime between the late 70s and early 80s, and wrote the song "Doubly Good to You" (recorded by Amy Grant on her album Straight Ahead) for his upcoming wedding.

However, his fiancée broke off the engagement in 1982.

In response to the breakup, Mullins wrote "Damascus Road".

Years later, Mullins shared thoughts about his relationships and personal life in a radio interview with Rick Tarrant:

""

Some of his albums were listed by CCM Magazine in their ranking of the 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music, including A Liturgy, a Legacy, & a Ragamuffin Band (1993) at No. 3, The World As Best As I Remember It, Volume One (1991) at No. 7, and Winds of Heaven, Stuff of Earth (1988) at No. 31.

His songs have been performed by numerous artists, including Caedmon's Call, Five Iron Frenzy, Amy Grant, Carolyn Arends, Jars of Clay, Michael W. Smith, John Tesh, Chris Rice, Rebecca St. James, Hillsong United and Third Day.

In 1997, he composed a musical called Canticle of the Plains, a retelling of the life of St. Francis set in the Old West.

Richard Wayne Mullins was born to John Mullins, a tree farmer, and Neva Mullins, whose ancestors were Quakers.

He had two sisters and two brothers.

The family called him by his middle name, Wayne, which he went by until college, when his friends called him Richard.

Mullins grew up attending Arba Friends Meeting, a church in Lynn, Indiana.

The Quaker testimonies of peace and social justice later inspired many of his lyrics.

When Mullins was in elementary school, his family moved and started attending Whitewater Christian Church, which he attended until he graduated.

Mullins was baptized when he was in the 3rd grade.

His great-grandmother taught him to play hymns and sing in four-part harmony when he was very young, and he began to study classical piano with a Quaker teacher while in elementary school.

During the tribute to Rich Mullins' life at the 1998 GMA Dove Awards, Amy Grant described him as "the uneasy conscience of Christian music."

Mullins was devoted to the Christian faith and heavily influenced by St. Francis of Assisi.