$170K raised for album to honor Christian singer Rich Mullins featuring Amy Grant, CCM artists
Over two decades years after iconic Christian musician Rich Mullins passed away in a car accident, his friends and CCM peers are coming together to create a tribute record that has amassed over $170,000 in donations.
The tribute album, Bellsburg ... The Songs of Rich Mullins, was first announced via a Kickstarter campaign earlier this year with the goal of raising $60,000. The campaign, which features a video of Mullin's friends and musicians who looked up to him talking about his legacy, has now nearly tripled the asking amount, raising over $170, 582 as of Wednesday.
Mullins, best known for his worship song, "Awesome God," was 41 when he was killed on Sept. 19, 1997, in a car accident while on his way to a benefit concert.
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His sudden death shocked the Christian music industry. As illustrated in the film on his life, “Ragamuffin: The True Story of Rich Mullins,” the musician wrestled his entire life with crippling insecurities, along with alcohol addiction and depression.
Now, his peers hope to keep his legacy going with this new album which will be distributed through Old Bear Records.
Bellsburg ... The Songs of Rich Mullins will feature performances from Amy Grant, Andrew Peterson, Ashley Cleveland, Jason Gray, Mitch McVicker, Ashley Asad and several other artists.
The entire album was recorded in Mullin's former house located in Bellsburg, Tennessee.
"This 120-year-old farmhouse in Bellsburg was the perfect setting to make this album," Andrew Greer, executive producer of the tribute album, said in a statement. "We are celebrating Rich's life and legacy, and this is the space he lived … and very possibly wrote many songs.”
The album trailer gives viewers a glimpse of what to expect. Grant is heard joking that Mullins would probably critique their covers of his songs.
“Recording with this community, in this special way, I believe gets us closer to the barefooted Rich," Greer continued.
"When I compare Rich Mullins to great American songwriters like Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, or Paul Simon, it's possible that this more simple folk, acoustic-style would be the lane that Rich would be in today, musically speaking," Chris Hoisington, producer of the project and co-founder of Old Bear Records, added.
On the 20th anniversary of Mullin's death, Christian artists Mac Powell, Matt Maher, and Ellie Holcomb recorded a song called “The Joy of Jesus,” one of Mullin’s unreleased tunes.
Bellsburg … The Songs of Rich Mullins is slated for September 2022 release. Visit the website for further information.
Jeannie Ortega Law is a reporter for The Christian Post. Reach her at: [email protected] She's also the author of the book, What Is Happening to Me? How to Defeat Your Unseen Enemy Follow her on Twitter: @jlawcp Facebook: JeannieOMusic
