This week the Christian music community lost a dear friend, brother and mentor. Dwight Ozard's redemptive influence on the artists community (and the industry at large) is beyond words.

His friendship profoundly impacted the lives of Margaret Becker, Rick Elias, Rich Mullins, The Ragamuffin Band, Steve Taylor, The Lost Dogs, The 77s, Nicholas Giaconia, Pierce Pettis, Adam Again, Daniel Amos, Terry Taylor, The Choir, Charlie Peacock, Sixpence None the Richer, Dave Perkins and Randy Stonehill.

And you can add me and hundreds of other folks in and around the Christian music world to that list as well. That was one of the things about Dwight. He not only had friends everywhere you turned, he was a friend who made a distinct difference in each of those (our) lives.

Many of us first met Dwight back in 1994 when he became an editor with PRISM Magazine. From there he moved on to take an artist/celebrity relations position with Habitat For Humanity. While there, he increased the organzation's appreciation for the influence high profile spokespersons can have via their platforms. And on a personal level he engaged Hollywood personalities ranging from Pat Boone to Sarah Michelle Gellar in mutually vulnerable conversations about the reality and ramifications of who Jesus Christ is.

Then in 2000, one of Dwight's mentors, Tony Campolo, ask him to come work for him as his protoge. We were all certain Campolo would some day hand Dwight his baton. And then our friend was diagnosed with cancer. After battling for 4 and half years, he was taken Home.

There are so many things I could write about Dwight, from his lifechanging encounters and friendships with others, to his recurring presence in my life. This is the guy who, many years before anyone had a clue I would some day be a music journalist, invited me to submit my Top 10 Albums of 1994 list to be printed as part of PRISM Magazine's year end critics' picks section. What? I was barely more than a record label intern, a newbie publicist at a mini-label called R.E.X., whose bands had monikers like Killed By Cain, Hot Pink Turtle and Soul Shock Remedy. When my Top 10 list appeared in PRISM, I felt like I'd arrived. And frankly, it made no sense for me to be included in that mix of some of my favorite music writers and industry leaders. But that's just the way Dwight was. He believed in me from the start and never wavered in that.

Speaking into my vocation wasn't the half of it. Dwight was iron sharpening the iron I hoped (and still hope) to some day be. You see, I've long prided myself in being a "compassionate conservative." Over the years Dwight spoke into my life in a way that helped compel me to eventually esteem compassion even more than my conservatism. Sounds like common sense, right? It should have been, but in my case...

Dwight is a hero to so many influencers and culture shapers. And the little bit of influence I've been entrusted with is being and will be so much better served thanks to the marks he's left on my life.

Thank you, Jesus, for Dwight.

Jay

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