1990

• Rich finishes writing "Calling Out Your Name." Lyrics for the song were started back in 1986 while touring with Amy Grant on the Ungaurded Tour. The song was finished while Rich was riding his motorcycle in the Flint Hills.
  
  
• Cynthia Clawson records a song written by Rich and Justin Peters entitled "If All I Know Is Love" on her Words Will Never Do album.
  
  

  Late 1989/Early 1990

• Rich Mullins performs for two youth groups (about 35 students) at Sams Chapel, Kansas Wesleyen University in Salina, KS.
  
  

  January 15, 1990

• "My One Thing" debuts on the AC Charts. It would spend 14 weeks on the chart and peak at #6.
  
  
• Amy Grant appears on the Arsenio Hall Show performing Rich's "Love Of Another Kind." Amy's band included Michael W. Smith on keyboards.
  
  

  February 3, 1990

  
  

  (Article from the February 3, 1990 Daily Herald)

  Rich: "I think I've seen the best life has to offer and I've enjoyed my life. Yet my songs are about being in the world and not of it. We need to believe in God, not in the systems of this worl, for God will triumph in the end."
  
  
  

  February 16, 1990

• Rich Mullins and Avenue G perform in the Meyers Sports Complex at Trinity College in Deerfield, IL. at 8:00 p.m.
  
  

  February 23, 1990

• Rich Mullins performs at Peoples Church in Beloit, WI.
  
  

  March 1990

• CCM Magazine reviews Rich's Never Picture Perfect album.
  Album Reviews
  
  
• Alarma! Records releases the debut album from Rick Elias and the Confessions.
  Rick: "The deal came out nowhere. A friend of mine had taken one of our tapes to a big Christian music conference in Colorado, and he gave it to a guy from Alarma!.The tape sat on the shelf in his office for several months, then another guy from the label gets it, flips out over it, calls me up and offers me a contract. In the meantime, we had started to get some interest from several major labels, including A&M and Chrysalis, but I went ahead and signed with Alarma, regardless. They promised me I could do my album the way I wanted to, without any interference, and that was really important."
  
  

  March 2, 1990

• Rich Mullins performs at College Wesleyan Church at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, IN at 8:00 p.m.
  
  

  March 9-11, 1990

• Rich Mullins performs at the annual Ohio Baptist Youth Fellowship Convention (BYF) at the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Youngstown, Ohio. Rich performed a concert on the second night of the convention and he was also the primary teacher for the weekend. The theme (and song) for the convention was "Our God is an Awesome God." Rich is interviewed by Thom Granger from CCM magazine.
  
  

  March 17, 1990

• Rich Mullins performs at the Greeley County High School in Tribune, KS at 7:00 p.m. Prior to the concert, "Choice Lifestyle" youth outreach team held a youth rally at the Greeley County Fairgrounds.
  
  

  March 1990

  
  
• Rich Mullins begins pursuing a degree in Music Education at Friends University in Wichita, KS. French horn is only one of over nine instruments that Rich Plays, including piano, guitar and hammer and lap dulcimer. During this time, Rich served as the choir director at West Evangelical Free Church as part of his degree program. During his time at the University, many members of the academic staff do not realize that Rich is a recording artist that frequently goes out on tour. Many wonder why he's always gone and missing for long periods of time.
  
  Rich and Beaker share a small house in town for the first two years. Rich referred to the area as "St. Joseph's Square" due to its proximity to St. Joseph's Hospital and friends Kathy Sprinkle and Doris Howard, who both lived in the area. (This area would be referenced in the title of "Peace (A Communion Blessing from St. Joseph's Square)," a song that would end up on the album A Liturgy, A Legacy, and a Ragamuffin Band in 1993).
  
  
• Rich meets and befriends James Bryan Smith, a professor of religion at Friends University around this time. Rich would live in Smith's attic appartment between 1992 and 1995. Smith would later write "An Arrow Pointing Toward Heaven," a biograpgy of sorts about Mullins.
  James Brian Smith: "I used to run the chapel and he comes up after the thing and introduces himself to me, and 'yeah, this is Rich,' and I introduce him to the chapel speaker. And then, that night - I don't know, it was probably around 10 O'Clock, the doorbell rings and in comes Rich. He just kind of says, 'Hey what'ya doing?'. I was like, 'I just met you.. it's 10 O'clock - what are you doing?' And he comes in and the chapel speaker was staying in the guest part of that house, so the four of us just sat up talking for a while, and he said 'Hey I just wrote this song. I don't know if its any good but can I play it for you?' There happened to be a grand piano in this big old house. So, he sits down at the piano and he plays 'Jacob and Two women,' and it was beautiful. It was just really beautiful, and he gets done and says 'what do you think?' and I say 'it's great!' He says, 'Really? Are you sure?' I said, 'yeah, it's great!'. My wife Megan says the same thing and Kurt, the speaker guy, says it... it takes ten minutes because he keeps saying 'Are you sure? Are you sure?'"
  James Brian Smith: "He was brilliant, he didn't need to be in class with me. That was one of our running jokes."
  
  

  March 23, 1990

• Rich Mullins performs in Wichita, KS at Central Community Church with author, Frank Peretti. The event was called "Prayer Does Make a Difference" sponsored by Succesful Living and Crucible Productions.
  
  

  April 1990

• Rich's "Awesome God" is nominated for two Dove Awards - "Song of the Year" and "Contemporary Song of the Year." "Bound to Come Some Trouble" is also nominated for a Dove Award.
  
  

  April 4, 1990

• Rich Mullins attends the annual ASCAP ceremonies and awards luncheon at the Stouffer Hotel ballroom in Nashville, TN.
  
  

  April 5, 1990

• Rich Mullins attends the 21st Annual Gospel Music Association Dove Awards Ceremony at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in Nashville, TN.
  
  
• While in Nashville for GMA week, Rich gives an interview to Sandi Brown of WCBW 104.9 in St. Louis, Mo.
  Read Transcript
  
  

  April 9, 1990

• "While the Nations Rage" debuts on the AC Charts. It would spend 14 weeks on the chart and peak at #1 on June 11.
  
  

  Mid April 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G (Nicki and Lee Lundgren, Jeff Sack, Kyle Stevens and Tracy Criman) began their 65 City "Never Picture Perfect" Summer Tour.
  
  

  April 20, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at the R. G. Jones Auditorium, Winchester Community High School, in Winchester, IN at 7:30 p.m. as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  April 21, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at Rediger Chapel/Auditorium at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana at 9:00 p.m. for their 56th Annual Youth Conference called "Youth Conference '90." The theme of the conference was "Invest in the Quest." Rich also gave a seminar from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
  
  

  April 27, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Wilmore, KY at Ichthus '90 as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  April 28, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at the Ichthus Festival as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  Early 1990

• Rich Mullins is interviewed for WCM Christian Radio about his upcoming show in Canton, MI on June 22.
  Interviewer: "WCM Christian Music 9.9. The music of Rich Mullins... "My One Thing." Rich, you are coming to our area. I've got rich mullins with me here right now... to the Calvary Baptist Church in Canton in June... and Welcome."
  Rich: "Well thanks man, I'm looking forward to being up there. We were just up there last fall at Concordia College and we had a ball. Man, there's a pizza place downtown Ann Arbor... that I can't remember the name of but they had great pizza so I plan on eating a lot."
  
  Interviewer: "Okay. We've just started playing a new song from you called 'While The Nation's Rage.' Tell me about that song."
  Rich:: "Well, it mostly is just kind of a paraphrase - with a with a little bit of my own editorial comments.. based on the 2nd Psalm and I just think so much is going on and and I look around... you know what's going on in China and Romania and with the Iron Curtain coming down all the changes going on... and it would be very easy I think to get confused and... I think some things are happening that that we can't really understand. And some of it looks really good some of it looks really dangerous. And I think that it would be real easy to get scared. It would be real easy to get carried away with some kind of naive kind of belief that somehow we - mankind really will pull himself up by his bootstraps and do something decent for a change. I think in the midst of that, the only salvation a Christian is going to have is to focus on Christ... is to remember that He is our hope. That He is our salvation and not the plots and schemes that mankind comes up with."
  
  Interviewer: "The whole music community right now seems to be wanting to do something good now... Paul McCartney wants to save the earth, uh Phil Collins plays a song for the homeless and we've got all this stuff happening... do you think that maybe Christian Music had an influence?"
  Rich: "I don't know. I don't know if if they take Christian Music very seriously or not. I think there are some really genuinely good people who are lost. Who are clueless and I think that people are not non-christians because they're bad people. People are non-Christians because they have not yet submitted themselves to the Lordship of Christ and some of them are very good people. I have friends who have had a terrific impact on my life and who I think God has even used to instruct me, who were not Christians and their goodness does not make them any more saved. Their lostness doesn't make them any less good."
  
  Interviewer: "You are also on the road quite a bit on weekends but you're also going to school full-time and that's sort of a new atmosphere for you. Tell me about that."
  Rich: "Well Idon't know.. I just feel like God is calling me to get ready for for some missions work and I need to be ready when it's time to go. So I'm in school and if he does lead me onto a mission field, I'll be ready. And if He doesn't, a little schooling isn't going to hurt me in any way."
  
  Interviewer: "And finally, let's talk about the concert.. you're coming up in June. Who do you want to show up?"
  Rich: "Uh everybody! I want everyone! I want everybody there. I want thousands of you.... um I.. yeah gee yeah uh just whoever. I mean I don't gear my concerts to any particular demographics you know? I just kind of do what I do and if you connect with it great. And if you don't, leave. Okay?"
  
  Interviewer: "Rich Mullins has been our guest and we appreciate your music and we'll look forward to seeing you in june. Thanks Rich."
  Rich: "Yeah thank you very much."
  
  

  May 1990

  
  
  
  
• Rich appears on the cover of CCM Magazine.
  "Hope To Carry On"
  
  

  May ?, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform a concert at Friends University as part of Christian Emphasis Week.
  
  

  May 15, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at the Capitol City Christian Church in Lincoln, NE at 7:30 p.m. as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  May 16, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Topeka, KS as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  May 17, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Boone, IA as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  May 18, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at the Sioux Falls Coliseum in Sioux Falls, South Dakota at 7:30 p.m as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  May 19, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Pierre, SD as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  May 20, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Rapid City, SD as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  May 22, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at the Bible Book Store in Billings, MN as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  May 23, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Libby, MN as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  May 25, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Spokane, WA as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  May 26, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Seattle, WA as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  May 27, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Portland, OR as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  May 28, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Eugene, OR as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  May 30, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in San Francisco, CA as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  May 31, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at the Quadrangle Auditorium in Salinas, CA at 8:00 p.m. as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  June 1, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Bakersfield, CA as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  
• Rich Mullins gives an interview to the El Paso Times.
  Rich: "What I'm trying to communicate with my music is that God is a good God, and the church is a good church. I like an audience to go away from one of my concerts feeling, 'Wow, I really feel good,' as opposed to 'Let's find a cause and go picket.'" (El Paso Times, El Paso, TX June 1, 1990)
  
  

  June 2, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Downey, CA as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  June 3, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at Bethany Community Church in Tempe, AZ at 6:00 p.m. as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  June 5, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Alberquerque, NM as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  June 6, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at the Coronado Baptist Church, El Paso, Texas at 8:00 p.m. as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  June 7, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at S.H. Ryder High School in Wichita Falls, TX as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour". The as-of-yet-unrecorded "I See You was performed at the concert.
  
• After the concert, Gary Forsythe interviewed Rich for KMOC-FM.
  
  

  June 8, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at Hardin-Simmons University's Behrens Chapel in Abilene, TX at 7:30 p.m. as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  June 9, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Austin, TX as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  June 10, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Dallas, TX as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  June 11, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at Assumption Catholic Church in Houston, Texas at 7:30 p.m. as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour". Seminars and workshops were also held.
  
  
• "While the Nations Rage" hits #1 on the AC charts. After its debut on April 9, it would spend a total of 14 weeks on the chart.
  
  

  June 12, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Shreveport, LA as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  June 13, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Meridian, MS as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  June 14, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Tupelo, MS as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  June 15, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Memphis, TN as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  June 16, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Knoxville, TN as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  June 18, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at Milligan College, Johnson City, TN as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  June 19, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at Milligan College, Johnson City, TN as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  Spring/Summer 1990

• A short interview with Rich Mullins appears in Calendar Magazine.
  "Never Picture Perfect"
  
  

  June 20, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at Gatliff Auditorium at Cumberland College in Williamsburg, Kentucky at 8:30 p.m. as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  June 21, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at Kentucky Christian College, Grayson, KY as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  June 22, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at Calvary Baptist Church, Canton, Michigan at 7:30 p.m. as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  
  

  (Rich Mullins with his parents.)

  June 23, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Ft. Wayne, IN as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  June 24, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Indianapolis, IN as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  June 25, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at Adrian College in Adrian, MI as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  June 26, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at Adrian College in Adrian, MI as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  June 28, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Grand Rapids, MI as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  June 29, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at the O'Laughlin Auditorium on the Saint Mary's College Campus in South Bend, IN as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  
  
• Prior to the show, Rich, Beaker and members of Avenue G performed a mini-concert outside of the Family Bookstore at Scottsdale Mall.
  
  

  June 30, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Pittsburg, PA as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  July 1, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at the Crawford County Fairgrounds, Meadville, PA at 7:00 p.m. as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour". Rich, Beaker and the band stayed overnight in the Bethany Guest House Bed & Breakfast in Cambridge Springs, PA. He was photographed by the innkeepers.
  
  

  July 2, 1990

• "Alrightokuhhuhamen" debuts on the AC Charts. It would spend 14 weeks on the chart and peak at #4.
  
  

  July 3, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in the football stadium at Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA at 7:00 p.m. as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour". The event was billed as the "Proclaim Your Freedom 1990 Concert."
  
  

  July 4, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Philidelphia, PA as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  July 5, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Salem, NJ as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  July 6, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in New York, NY as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  July 7, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at Gardner High School Auditorium in Gardner, Massachusetts at 7:00 p.m. as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  July 10, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in New Hampshire as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  July 11, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Burlington, VT as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  
  

  (Photo by Mark Tucker.)

  July 12, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Troy, NY as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  July 13, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Utica, NY as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  July 14, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Buffalo, NY as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  July 15, 1990

  
  
• Brennan Manning's The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up and Burnt Out is published. The author and the book would go on to be very influential to the life and career of Rich Mullins. Three years later, Rich would even call his band The Ragamuffin Band.
  Rich: "The preaching of Brennan Manning - we practice silence in the truck a lot of times so we hardly ever have a tape on or anything like that. But we don't have any rules - you can do what you want. But Beaker put in a Brennan Manning tape and I really didn't want to hear it because I didn't know who he was and don't ordinarily like preaching. I went 'Argh, great.' Well, I think about five minutes into it I think I had to pull off the road because I was just bawling my eyes out. I thought, what I am experiencing here is that I have gone to church ever since I was wee little, probably from when I was a week old, and this is the first sermon in my memory that is the preaching of the Good News of the Gospel of Christ. He's not preaching about an issue. He's not preaching about a theological position. He's not preaching about anything except this is the Good News. And I thought, wow, this is what I am hungry to hear. This is what I am dying to hear."
  
  

  July 16, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Selinsgrove, PA as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  July 17, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Baltimore, MA as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  July 18, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Roanoke, VA as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  July 19, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Raliegh, NC as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  July 20, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Cullman, AL as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  July 21, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Huntsville, AL as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  July 22, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Chattanogga, TN as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  July 23, 1990

  
  
  

  (Morgan Cryar, Kim Hill, Rich and Gary Chapman)

• Rich attends a release party for Reunion Recording artist Morgan Cryar in Nashville, TN.
  
  

  July 24, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Kingsport, TN as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  July 25, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at Guilford College, Greensboro, NC as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  July 26, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Columbia, SC as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  
• The Los Angeles Times publishes an interview with Rick Elias.
  Rick: "I had gone to a Christian college, and part of that anger I felt, part of the angry young man persona I was trying to create in San Diego back in the old days, was a reaction to that. I was kind of renouncing my faith. Because I cam from such a highly dysfunctional family and was such a troubled kind of kid, I just couldn't relate to the Conservative, mainline expressions of Christianity I had been taught in school. I felt like I didn't fit in, so as soon as I got out, I rebelled. And all that stuff I went through in San Diego was just me and my personal journey, trying to find out who I was and what I believed. Gradually, through reading and talking with friends I had made up there, I began to realize I had been a bit rash with my decision to renounce my faith. I saw another part of CHristianity I maybe wanted to be a part of, a whole other side than Jimmy Swaggart or the Catholic Church stuff -- an entire body of Christians who are unbelievably smart, unbelievably artistic, who are at the forefront of every intellectual pursuit that's going on, from government and science tot he arts."
  Rick: "I was in a band with a lot of really hot players, and we were doing some demos with Niko Bolas, who went on to produce Neil Young's Freedom album. Everything was going good, but somehow it just wasn't where I wanted to be, neither musically nor spriritually. I was writing what I felt was the best music I had ever written, but then they started talking about bringing in outside writers, and I could sense this thing just becoming a giant, one-shot, money-making extravaganza with absolutely no integrity - a typical L.A. album deal."
  Rick: "I didn't change one thing, one lick, one riff. My perspective may have changed, but I never consciously sat down and said, 'OK, I'm a Christian artist.' Every artist writes from his or her point of view, and while I'm now writing from a Christian point of view, my music is the same as it's always been. When most people hear the term Christian Rock, they tend to think of Amy Grant or more petrified forms of music. Hopefully, that's going to change, because there are some really good Christian rock bands out there that could reach a much wider audience, if it wasn't for this typecasting. It's frustrating to hit these barriers, but there's really nothing I can do about it - except make the best music I can make and keep putting it out."
  
  

  July 27, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at Mount Carmel Christian Church in Stone Mountain, GA at 7:30 pm. as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  July 29, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Cape Girardeau, MO as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  July 30, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, MO as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  August 1, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Kansas City, MO as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  August 2, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Columbia, MO as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  
  

  (Photo by Mark Tucker.)

  August 3, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at Marian Cultural and Civic Center, Marion, Illinois at 8:00 p.m. as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  August 4, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at Park Crest Assembly Church in Springfield, MO at 7:00 p.m. as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  August 6, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at Southwest Baptist University, Bolivar, MO as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  August 7, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at Southwest Baptist University, Bolivar, MO as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  August 9-11, 1990

• Rich Mullins is the guest speaker at the Quaker Youth Young Friends Yearly Meeting at Guilford College in Greensboro, NC. He and Beaker also performed at the event. Rich spoke on the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes. While at this conference, Rich worked on writing the song "Sometimes By Step." Songs performed at the meeting included "Sing Your Praise to the Lord" and "Elijah."
  
  

  August 13, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at the LSSU James Norris Center Gym at Lake Superior State University in Sault St. Marie, MI at 7:30 p.m. as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  August 15, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Wichita, KS as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  August 17, 1990

• The Journal and Courier in Lafayette Indiana runs a brief article about Rich's upcoming show on August 19th.
  Rich: "If you're doing what you're doing honestly, that's what counts. If I were successful without being honest, it wouldn't matter how much people liked me."
  Rich, on performance vs. message: "In my life, the things that had the most impact on me has been people, not performances. I want them to see me as a person, not a performer."
  Rich, on believing in God: "When you get back to that, it's like getting back to the foundation. It's what Christianity is based on. Sometimes in the midst of all the issues and controversies we as Christians get caught up in, we forget that."
  Rich, on his 65-city tour last year: "I enjoy all of it. It's not like I go around saying, 'I love this!' every minute of the day. Sometimes you get tired and there are always things you don't like. But overall, I enjoy it."
  
  

  August 18, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at the Cullen Avenue Christian Church in Evansville, Indiana at 7:30 p.m. as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  August 19, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at the Long Center for Performing Arts in Lafayette, Indiana at 8:00 p.m. as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  August 20, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Rockford, ILas part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  August 21, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at the Midway Theater in Rockford, Illinois at 7:30 p.m. as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  
  

  (Reunion Records Family: Ashley Cleveland, Kathy Troccoli, Michael W. Smith,
  Wes King, Gary Chapman, Rich Mullins and Michelle Fink)

  August 22, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Dubuque, IA as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  August 23, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Davenport, IA as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  August 24, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Des Moines, IA as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  August 26, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Dodge City, KS as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  August 27, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Dodge City, KS as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  August 29, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Ponca City, OK as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  
• Staff at Camp Qwanoes near Crofton, British Columbia, Canada broadcast a live phone call with Rich Mullins to youth campers on the topic of "My One Thing."
  Scott Bayley: "during an evening Chapel time we surprised everyone in the middle of the Chapel and said we're going to call Rich and ask him about the song. We had a phone at the front of the room and we had connected the sound into the sound system - this was not easy to do back then! We dialed and Rich answered - the room went crazy then silent as everyone listened. It was about 15 minutes, maybe more. We asked him how the song came about. Rich told a story of being alone, on tour, in a hotel room. There he felt the temptation to turn on the tv and watch unedifying tv content and waste his evening (or worse). Instead, if I'm remembering this correctly, he grabbed his guitar and went outside and wrote that song. It had something to do with his recent meditations of the beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount. Such as 'blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled' [and 'blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.' Matthew 5:8.] I think he commented on the impact and temptation of pornography on people. I recall this as I remember how this impacted many guys in the room who decided to get things right. It was amazing. Everyone soaked up everything he had to say. It was an awesome night." (Source: Scott Bayley, Executive Director, Camp Qwanoes, correspondence with Therese Klopfenstein, October 15, 2022 and November 16, 2022)
  
  

  August 30, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Oklahoma City, OK as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  August 31, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Tulsa, OK as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  September 1, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform At Six Flags Over Mid-America in St. Louis, MO as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour" and Joy Celebration III at 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. White Heart and Steven Curtis Chapman also performed.
  
  

  September 2, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform in Kansas City, MO as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  September 1990

• Rich Mullins performed a concert at Fallfest, an annual joint project of all the ministry groups at Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, MO.
  
  

  September 14, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at Lincoln Christian College in Lincoln, IL at 7:30 p.m. as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour". Steven Curtis Chapman and Whiteheart also perform.
  
  

  September 15, 1990

  
  
• Rich Mullins and Beaker perform in Wheaton, IL at True Tunes. During the in-store appearance, Rich mentions working on the song "The Color Green."
  Concert Transcript
  Set List: Boy Like Me, Man Like You/Where You Are/One Thing/Harlan County Waltz/H.D. Pinger/Calling Out Your Name/The Howling/Growing Young
  
• Rich Mullins performs at Wheaton College Edmond Chapel at 8:00 p.m.
  
  

  September 16, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at Anderson's Bookshop at Community Christian Church, in Naperville, IL as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  September ?, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at Fallfest at Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, MO.
  
  

  September 1990

• Rich Mullins began his second semester at Friends University. He quit school before the year ended because he was unable to attend all his classes and band performances and keep his obligations with Reunion Records.
  
  

  September 28, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at Mid-America Nazarene College Gymnasium in Olathe, KS at 8:00 p.m. as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  
  

  (Photo by Mark Tucker.)

  October 7, 1990

• Rich Mullins attends a pro-life rally and meeting in Wichita, KS. A lecture was sponsored by the St. Paul Chapter of Kansans for Life. Carol Everett, the former operator of five abortion clinics in Texas, was the featured speaker.
  
  

  October 8, 1990

• "First Family" debuts on the AC Charts. It would spend 14 weeks on the chart and peak at #20.
  
  

  October 12-13, 1990

• Rich Mullins and Beaker lead an adult singles retreat at Camp Ray Bird, Lydick, IN (a Christian campground for disadvantaged children, camp west of South Bend, Indiana on Chain-of-Lakes.) The title of the retreat was "The Kid Brothers of St. Frank."
  
  

  October 20, 1990

• Rich is the best man for Sam Howard's wedding in Dayton, OH.
  Sam Howard: "Rich was not the kind of best man who would provide support to the groom. You never knew for whether he would even show up until the last minute. He always, did, but he kept you nervous and guessing until then."
  
  

  October 21, 1990

• Rich Mullins celebrated his 35th birthday with friends in Cincinnati.
  
  

  October 28, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at Canton First Christian Church, Canton, near Akron, Ohio at 6:00 p.m. as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  November 3, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at the Shepherd Church of the Nazarene in Gahanna, OH as part of the "Never Picture Perfect Summer Tour".
  
  

  Fall 1990

• Rich Mullins and other artists, including Michael W. Smith, DC Talk, Rick Elias, Charlie Peacock, and Wes King, perform at Amy Grant and Gary Chapman's Riverstone farm in Franklin, TN for area teenagers. The event becomes known as "the Loft".
  
  

  November 28, 1990

  
  
• The Kevin Kostner film Dances with Wolves opens in movie theaters. Rich became slightly obsessed with the film and saw it at least two dozen times in the theater. At one point, he purchased 40 tickets and invited 40 of his friends to watch it with him in the theater.
  
  

  December 1990

• Rich records "Step By Step" in the studio with a choir of friends. (Bev Bartsch, Michael P. Bodkin, Dane Brashear, Michele Buc, John Colton, Alfredo Coleman, Mark Comden, Don Donahue, Karen Franz, Alison Freemon, David Hamilton, Angela Hewitt, Joe Hicks, Michelle Hicks, Andy Ivey, Elizabeth Leighton Jones, Lori Lee Loving, Robert Magee, Marita Meinerts, Michael Nolan, Danny O'Lannerghty, Laurie Omahundro, Tony Peterson, Kristin Pierson, Matt Pierson, Bernie Sheahan, Bill Sinclair, Leslie Tarkington and Kevin Wolf. The Little Choir is Lisa Bevill-Amann, Chris Harris, Lisa Glascow, Gary Janney, Tommy Jensen, Guy Penrod, Gary Robinson, Leah Taylor, Steven V. Taylor and Tricia Walker)
  Bernie Sheahan: "I watched him in the control room as he nearly burst with joy at the sound of us at worship, leaking heaven onto analog tape, with a song - something he and his best friend Beaker had crafted together, like a musical model airplane."
  
  

  November 29, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G perform at the Antioch Christian Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, at 7:30 p.m.
  
  

  December 31, 1990

• Rich Mullins, Beaker and Avenue G performs at the Century II Concert Hall in Wichita, KS.
  
  

All pages = © 1996- Eric Townsend All Rights Reserved. Do not reproduce or publish without permission.