Rich Mullins Last Concert - September 6, 1997

Sing Your Praise 5:37
Bach Violin Concerto 13:36
Mitch McVicker "Here and Now" 20:39
Mitch McVicker "Only Love" 25:37
Screen Door 30:44
Step By Step 32:44
Mitch McVicker "Lemonade Song" 36:30
Homeless Man 39:40
Hard To Get 42:40
The Breaks 50:00
Song For Mary 54:54
If I Stand 55:47
Creed 1:00:42
Calling Out Your Name 1:05:38
Mitch McVicker Gospel Rain 1:12:35
John 1:23:27
Ready for the Storm 1:26:56
Bach's Cello Suite 1 in G Major (Eric Hauck) 1:30:46
"No Not One" (Jesus Knows all About Our Struggles) 1:34:00
No Trouble At All 1:36:20
Awesome God 1:37:58

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!

This video was taken by Sharon Henryson on September 6, 1997, about two weeks before Rich Mullins went to his home in heaven. Rich Mullins, Mitch McVicker and Eric Hauck were kind enough to perform during the Kruse's monthly "Second Saturday Sing at Seven", which is still going on to this day.

I was 16 at the time of this recording, and getting to spend time with Rich during his last three weeks was quite life changing for me. I remember the first time I met him 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.

Rich sometimes rolled his own cigarettes and smoked on our back deck. Also, Rich was in the process of converting to Catholicism. After he told my mom this, she asked sarcastically, "Does this mean you will worship Mary"? Rich's response - a simple "Yes" - was almost certainly also filled with sarcasm. I am guessing Rich was simply tired of defending his interest in Catholic Christianity, and he responded with his famous brand of "eyebrow raising" humor.

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. It may be prophetic that this was possibly the last song he ever wrote.

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!

[leniebotha-oo]

21st March 2025. I still love listening to Rich's songs. When I first him I was about 52 years old and now I am 77 and still love his songs. It speaks to my heart.

[Brendasmpt]

I have a special needs intellectually disabled adult child, & she loves Rich Mullins’ music, & watching this today is keeping her occupied since she can’t go to her day program at this “stay at home” time with covid-19, but God’s got this, too! Amen!

[PaulaIsrael]

I remember this amazing night. I was standing with my infant son (not the one crying ;-) ) in my arms...sweet memories of an amazing man-of-God...

[BoughtByTheBlood]

I was enormously blessed to see Rich when I was 17 in Rockford, IL at the concert right before this one. I'll never forget it! My Mom & I had got there hours early and there was already a line. By the time the show started you couldn't see the end of it. There were 100s of people! Rich & co. cut right thru the line to the same doors we were all waiting at - no fanfare, no ego. He was just SO HUMBLE! Then we found out we were at least 300 people over the max. capacity of the sanctuary the concert was held in & Rich absolutely REFUSED to start until EVERYONE was seated! You couldn't fit down the aisles for the folding chairs. We all had to breathe at the same time! And then the show started & God showed up! I've been in Christ my whole life & have never felt God just like that before or since. Just amazing! Yes, Rich was just a man. And yes, he had a lot of problems. But when I think about that "great crowd of witnesses" up in Heaven, I can't help but think of Rich up there in his Roman sandals & cutoffs making us all believe - if even just for a little while - that God loved us and wanted us to someday go home to Him. RIP Rich. Look fwd to meeting you someday! There will never be another!

[OldWoman]

My mother passed away on 09/11/1997.  Her service was scheduled for the next Thursday.  That Sunday in church the announcement was made of Rich Mullins' tragic death in a motor vehicle collision.  The shock of my mother's sudden passing, and the announcement by Pastor Randy that Rich Mullins had entered into Heaven gave me a JOLT of shock and then, being from Indiana, and with tears running down my face, I had such peace.  Not only the peace that passes all understanding, but that within days of mom's going home to Heaven...Rich Mullins wasn't too far behind.  Mom enjoyed 40s and 50s music and, although raised as a Lutheran and having strong faith, she was seeking answers from me about being "born again."  I told her I would sit down with her and explain more...gathering scripture if breath.  Long story short.  Mom and Rich Mullins are singing in Heaven!  My brother, Bruce, joined mom on 10/24/2006 (age 51...so young), and then dad, who swore he would not live to see 2000 (and without mom it was a struggle for a year or so); joined them both on 07/12/2012.  

[terrell]

If I stand, let me stand on the promise that you will pull me thru. But if I can't, let me fall on the grace that first brought me to you. Awesome stuff!

[margaretsch]

Some commentators here say it's too bad the concert is "marred" by the voices of the children . . but I have seen quite a few pictures of Rich with children on mission trips and at the Navajo reservation . . which makes me think he enjoyed the company of children. It also shows us that although he was by then a famous, award-winning musician, he was not above making music in someone's home with a bunch of friends in a comfortable setting. Seems fitting to me for his last performance, to be among people the way Jesus so often was. 

[Mercilessnessiseverywhere]

"I can't see how You're leading me unless You've lead me here to where I'm lost enough to let myself be lead..."
Can I get an amen?
Love you Richard Wayne Mullins.

[johnhart]

@ 2:10 mins Rich is saying that, growing up, he loved to go to church because church was where the men sang (not like on the farm where it seemed to his young mind that they would only cuss and yell). He said it didn't matter that the men didn't sing well because "Church is the one place where we should be able to go and not be ashamed." Amen!

[chrisvance]

I absolutely LOVE that his last concert was in a home. A fitting finale for such an amazing artist :)

[booger]

I wonder how many of the people present knew that they were in the presence of pure greatness? Rich was a very humble man who never would consider himself as being great, but he was. A pure instrument of God's Love. I have missed Rich ever since he went home. What a legacy he left!

[wandabraun]

Love the kids sitting listening and no one hushes them or removes them. The family feeling to this is beautiful! What a blessing!

[mikepag]

This crappy, grainy quality, poor sound video is AWESOME! One of my ATFs!! It kinda reminds me of the way Rich lived...what you saw was what you got....the real thing. Never a show, fluff or airbrushing, just raw Rich! In so many ways I think God used Rich to teach me more about His true love and how I can and should relate to him....then 30 years of sermons, bible college and Sunday school!
Very cool video and must have been great getting to know him during that time.
Thanks for sharing!

[lindadrost]

Thank you God for giving Rich Mullins so much talent that he used to praise you and help hurting lost people know you loved them, me faithfully.

[billyhembree]

I can't get over how much Mitch sounds like like Rich when he sings. This video is such a blessing. Everyone asks, "who do you want to see/ meet in heaven?" Rich Mullins is extremely high on my list. I was very fortunate to get to see him in concert in this life.

[travelbug]

I was on a Christian cruise with Rich Mullins, Sandy Patti & Kathy Trocolli, in 1996, and found Rich a great entertainer and a free spirit. Once we all took a bus on a tour rand he and his band friends rented motor bikes to travel around the island and missed the ship and had to fly to the next port to join our group. I heard after his death he was one week away from becoming a Catholic, my faith, but not sure if that was the case. I sure know he was a Christian who lived his deep love of Jesus and our Father and he is singing in Paradise today for ministering to many in his short life. May he rest in peace, knowing He was a good and faithful servant.

[loreenduke]

No mistakes in life.Watched a movie about Rich Mullin surfing tv channels.I never cared for contemporary Christan music so I never used opportunity to know how raw and honest his music truly is.How refreshing and beautiful, I'll be on a journey to discover more of Rich and his gifted life.

[courtneyboulds]

26 years to the day. Rest in peace Rich, your music has brought this university student much consolation. Your gift has inspired me as a music major, and I cannot wait to see you in heaven.

[TheLookoutGuy]

Me and my three children were driving up to Oregon the day Rich Mullins died in a car accident and we heard the news on the radio while driving. I still can't accept that he is no longer with us probably because in my radio days from 1989-1993 I had played not just one song of his, but whole albums at any given time of day or day of the week non-stop, just because. I saw a video concert where he told people to not show up to Christian concerts for a church message, but to show up for entertainment, but he always gave a message anyhow, regardless of whatever he spoke about. ANYWAY, appreciate people while they're alive and don't wait for legends before you know who they are. Know living legends. And the children's screams and voices in this video were just as good as the music.

[jimmyaj]

I remember Rich when he was just a teen. I knew then he was something special. He was so insightful with the thoughts as he would share them as we sat around the piano. Now everytime I hear one of his songs on the radio, I feel him reaching out to my heart with his heart. he will always be an uplift to my spirit.