Rich Mullins Last Song

In September of 1997, Rich Mullins and Mitch McVicker stayed with the Kruse family while recording Mitch's first solo album in Illinois. During their 3 weeks of staying there, Rich and Mitch were kind enough to perform some of their music. This video was taken about 2 weeks before the car accident that tragically took Rich Mullins' life on September 19 of 1997. I was 16 at the time, and this meeting of Rich influenced my life greatly. I recently asked my mom what the noise in the background was. She said she was making dinner for everyone and she apologizes for the loud cutting noise!

In September of 1997 some family friends asked my parents if they could host "a few musicians" for "a few weeks", not saying who the musicians were. My mom agreed, and Rich Mullins, Mitch McVicker, Eric Hauck and Michael Aukofer showed up a few days later. When they arrived, my mom thought Rich was joking when he told her his name!

I remember the first time I met Rich Mullins in my living room. "Isn't Jesus amazing..." he said. It shocked me, and I agreed with him simply out of conviction. But he meant it! Also - he told me that his managers told him he "looked like sh*t". To hear that word come out of Rich's mouth kind of shocked me at the time, though I know that Rich had a reputation of speaking honestly and occasionally shocking people.

One day during those three weeks, Rich and Mitch invited my family and a couple of friends to the studio for a day. The studio was an old abandoned church in Elgin (Chicago suburb) filled with thousands of dollars of equipment, instruments and computers. I remember ash trays filled with cigarettes in the studio upstairs as Rich and Mitch were meticulously recording Mitch's first album.

I also remember showing Rich my first song that I had written. He listened intently and told me, "Not bad for a first song". Honestly, though, he was just being generous - something Rich did quite well.

One story my mom told me was when Rich came home from recording late one night and shared with her that he was going to write a new song that night. "How do you just write a song?" My mom asked. "How do you cook as well as you do?" He asked back. The next morning my mom asked him if he had written a new song last night. He then performed a finished "All The Way To Kingdom Come" for her.

This "encounter" with Rich also created new friendships. Among other amazing experiences, I have had the opportunity to work as a musician and learn from Rich Mullin's percussionist - Michael Aukofer. Michael has become an award winning international composer, and he currently leads the music program at West Ridge community church in Elgin, Illinois, where I also get to perform on a regular basis. It's amazing how a moment can alter the entire direction of our lives!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Rich mullins
• legacy
• final performance
• music
• acoustic
• mitch mcvicker
• kruse

[MoxieMike66]

I have a few of his CD's and I've never heard this one (including his last one w/the rough recording in the church). Thanks for sharing this!

[petekrusetunes]

@MoxieMike66 Thanks for the comments! Have a great day. 

[SceneBackstage]

FANTASTIC! Thank you for sharing.

[petekrusetunes]

@SceneBackstage Yeah Rich spent the last 3 weeks of his life at my parent's. I was 16 at the time and I slept on the couch while he took my room. It blew me away and I was blessed to have met him and witness his beautiful music and love for people. Stay tuned as I post more videos from a concert he performed less than 1 week before his tragic death. He is still missed by many, though many years have passed. Still, heaven is a better place with him in it! Pete

[WhatFillsTheEye]

p.s. Excellent living-room footage...I mean the sockie-foot on the coffee table. :-) It makes me feel like I'm right there, since I do that, too. Seriously, this is so close and clear. Thank you. Excellent. I feel like I'm sitting in the room. What a gift.

[MrJcenter7]

Saint rich

[MrJcenter7]

Let's do this one thing okay pinkie promise pretty please... Let's believe in the holy one the only righteouss anointed one who is able to break our bands asunder

[MrJcenter7]

Today has been the best the worst day of my life

[rogperu]

gracias por compartir.

[BestOf90sCCM]

Rich was the real deal. Thank You for this

[nathankriebel]

anyone have the words to this? I figured out most of them, but I'm having trouble with a few lines, and I'd really like to see the whole thing.

[mandohyzer]

Thanks for sharing! I feel like I'm in the living room with y'all. I keep imagining your mom cooking and listening to this hairy dude on her couch and can't help but to suspect that she really dug it. Thanks again for posting.... powerful stuff.

[tcufrog2k]

Wow! What an incredible story and an intimate setting to have Rich Mullins in your living room playing a new song! It would be cool if they used your story in the movie that's coming out this year. Thanks for the upload!