Catholic World News News Feature

Christian Singer Rich Mullins Dies; Planned To Become Catholic September 22, 1997

OTTAWA, Illinois (CWN) - Contemporary Christian singer Rich Mullins died in a car accident on Friday and his drummer, 24-year-old Mitch McVicker, remains in critical condition in an Ottawa hospital.

The 42-year-old Mullins and McVicker were riding in a Jeep Friday night on southbound Interstate 39 when the driver lost control and the car flipped, throwing both men from the Jeep. Police were not sure which man was driving. Mullins died of injuries after being hit by a passing truck when he was thrown from his own vehicle.

Mullins, who recorded seven top-selling Christian albums since 1986 and won 12 Dove Awards, was on his way to a concert at Wichita State University on Saturday night. The artist who had been studying the Catholic faith for several years was reportedly scheduled to be received into the Church on Monday morning at the university's Newman Center by Father Matt McGuinness. Father McGuinness, who was unavailable for comment by press time, had been assisting Mullins in his investigation of the Catholic faith.

The musician had recently moved from the recording studio full-time to a career as a primary school music teacher at a Navajo reservation in Window Rock, Arizona. He was reportedly working on a new album to be released by his new recording company, Myrrh Records. In an interview last year, Mullins summed up his philosophy of life, saying: "One day it won't make any difference how many albums I sold, but I will give account of my life to God. What I think He'll be most pleased with is to see that we truly lived, that we were the person he created us to be."