Sorry to hear of my dear friends passing did not find out till after his celebration but he had become a big part in the ministry as a member of Yahshuahs worship Team at Holy Trinity Church of Yah in Christ at 6312, east f street where His pastor and Bishop was Bishop Enoch , Holy Ghost blues. Richard would play at our Shabbat service on Friday night and Saturday at 7pm and would teach my late son who passed away December 30th at 4 years old. I’m sure he is jamming up in that heavenly band with Baby Bishop Enoch. Sad he’s Gone but glad he’s with the Father in a brand new body playing a jewel covered solid gold God powered guitar that no one ever seen before. 

If you want to know what Richard was doing on a Friday night last parts of his magnificent life come on by the church and bring your instruments because we are still playing the music Richard loved at about 8pm every Friday and Saturday night at 8 on those Holy days. Shalom Richard don’t Rest In Peace but jam out loud I’ll see you again when my father calls me home Shalom / prayers for your family you left behind and family if you ever need anything you know where his true friends are at the only church I new him to come to. peace out 

I am heartbroken. Richard's musical mentorhood was THE most meanful and profound I EVER had.  He helped me SO much especially when it came to unlearning the wrong muscle memory in my hands.  It took a LOT of patience on his part.  It was INVALUABLE when I left Illinois to play the blues in Arkanas and Texas.

Without Rich I would have been unprepared and incapable the play with the older veterans I was blessed to cross paths with. He was my Blues Father.

Thank you for this opportunity.

Harlan

Making music with my good friend.

Sarah and family, Our hearts are breaking along with yours. We are here for you and always in your time of need. 

My condolences to the Molina family.  I first met Rich back in either 1976 or 1977 in Champaign, Illinois, through a mutual friend, Harlan Smalling.  Harlan played bass in several bands with me, and he started playing with Rich shortly afterwards, lasting a number of years.  When I met Rich I realized that I had seen him before, playing blues up in Chicago with various musicians and groups.  Rich sat in regularly with my band and he in turn was kind enough to ask me to play with his band when he was working with Big Walter Horton, realizing that would be a thrill and honor for me.  Rich and Barbara acquired an old upright piano back then and, since I was a luthier (guitar repair  person) at the time and had also just completed a piano repair/tuning course, they asked me to fix up their piano.  In true musicians fashion, Rich and I worked out a deal in which I repaired the piano in trade for a couple of old Shure Unidyne microphones with cables that he had lying around.  It took me a few trips out to their place to do the work, and they had me over for dinner once.   They were a really nice couple, both really sharp people.  Rich was always a stand-up guy:  friendly, inclusive and honest.  One always knew that one could trust Rich's word, his reliability and competence.  I did not see Rich again until one day in 1985 or 1986 when I was at a blues jam here in Seattle at the old Fremont Tavern and in walked Rich Molina to jam.  Neither of us could believe that we had both ended up out in the Puget Sound area.   I am very sorry to hear of his passing.  

Sending much love.

Before the blues, Rich and I were stage hands for Euphoria Blimpworks sound company. We worked big rock shows at the Aragon Ballroom (Joe Cocker, The Byrds, Jethro Tull, etc.) plus the benefit for pianist Otis Spann with Muddy Waters, Koko Taylor, Wild Child Butler, Buddy Guy, Siegel-Schwall and others. Rich had a little dog that came with us and the dog walked around on the stage during Muddy's set as he sat on a bar stool and sang. Then we did a Mountain gig at Northwestern University and after the sound check in Dyke Stadium, the band was leaving to get dinner before the show. All the equipment was live and so Rich picked up Leslie West's Melody Maker guitar and started blasting it to thousands of empty seats, sounding JUST LIKE Leslie West. The whole band rushed back into the stadium and shouted, "Hey kid! Put that down!" We had some great times back then.

So sorry for your loss. Richard was a friend of mine in Chicago before we became part of the same family. Shortly after he started dating your mom and I started dating your uncle Paul, I remember seeing him at a party and he told me how happy he was with Barb. I don't remember details, but the gist of it was that she was the first person he'd ever dated who accepted him as he was and didn't try to change him. Everything about him was okay with her. I remember how happy he was, and within the year, we were inlaws! He was a wonderful, warm, caring person and a great musician, who loved his family. I'll miss him! -Margie

I met Rich in high school when we were both nuts about blues. We played together on Maxwell Street with some of the originators of Chicago blues. In 1974, along with Jimmy Becker, we produced a two day blues show with Big Walter Horton, Eddie Taylor, Floyd Jones, Kansas City Red, and Big John Wrencher. A poster from that show is in the Chicago History Museum. We had some great fun together. When he was a carpenter on the Sears Tower he snuck me and my brother onto the site at lunchtime and we stood on top of the world's tallest building before it was topped off. I'm very sorry we hadn't remained close. I will miss him very much. My best to your family.

One last family photo.

Walking his daughter down the aisle — with Sarah Rose