07/25/2021 – Ashley Cleveland and Rich Mullins – 3 songs and the stories behind them. Sweet memories so appropriately pointing to our Lord and Savior! (Indeed, all good things come from Him.)
I told my story in my post last Sunday about the Mercy Me concert at our home church, First Presbyterian back around 1994 just as they were becoming known outside of their home turf in Oklahoma. Well, this story is about my favorite concert of “all time!” (as only Muhammad Ali could punctuate). It was probably just a year later in 1995, same venue, at our church and the artist was Ashley Cleveland.
It was a very bizarre scene in that there were only 25 people in the audience, in the church’s new contemporary worship center that could seat about 1,000. So, Ashley came out, hesitated for a few seconds before sweetly intimating in a soft voice: Well, it has been awhile since I performed before an audience of this size. This was just before she was to be the first female nominee in the Grammy’s , in the Best Rock Gospel category for her “Lesson of Love.”
I think she might have actually put more into that concert , not less. It was just her, a solo , with her guitar. At the end of her performance, she asked for requests. A guy from the back instantly shouted out “Gimme Shelter” by the Rolling Stones. Ashley grinned with a reply: “Ok, but that’s not fair, there are five of them and only one of me!” As we were reluctantly walking out afterward , I shared with Nancy my honest commentary: “I like her version better!” So, the first song I leave with you is that one, noting this is about 13 years later. The venue for this song is: “Stone Country – A Tribute to the Rolling Stones”, and Ashley was the only female artist to perform at that tribute. Bearing in mind, we are all getting older, so she doesn’t have the same vocal belt that she once had. I’ll take Ashley’s “old” any day of the week. haha
Ashley was born in 1957 in Knoxville, Tennessee as I recall. I haven’t heard her testimony but I think she had a rough life on the road as a young performer , before coming to Jesus. So, this 2nd song is even later, 7 or 8 years ago or so. It is a tribute to her close friend Rich Mullins, who she performed with on the road, prior to his being tragically killed in a car crash in 1997. What a loving short tribute this is to the memory of Rich. And that brings us to the 2nd song: “I see you” below. Check it out.
And, the last song is Rich performing his: “Hold Me Jesus” before a live audience in Holland. This is the song that my older daughter Amy and I danced to at her wedding seventeen some years ago.
Soli Deo Gloria indeed. Sweet memories that they just cant steal away from you.
Soli Deo Gloria! Always connected by His grace and through prayer….