UPDATE: Funeral arrangements added at the end of this page.

Growing up in Mountain Grove, Missouri, Dwayne taught himself to play guitar in the style of Chet Atkins and became well known for his classic fingerstyle playing. He would go on to perform with The Happy Goodman Family, The Blackwood Brothers, The Oak Ridge Boys, and The Smitty Gatlin Trio, among others, and he was hired to play on numerous Gospel albums over the years. He also recorded several solo albums, appeared multiple times at the Grand Ole Opry, and performed at Rex Humbard’s Cathedral of Tomorrow.

In 1969, at the very first GMA Dove Awards, Dwayne was the winner in the Instrumentalist category. Then in 1970, he won in the same category and also received an award for Song of the Year as one of the writers of “The Night Before Easter.” In addition to that song, Dwayne wrote or cowrote many others, including “The Little Boy from the Carpenter Shop” and “I Came Here to Stay.”

During the 1970s, Dwayne traveled for a while with Jimmie Snow (son of Hank Snow) and Carol Lee Cooper (daughter of Wilma Lee Cooper). He sang harmony, played guitar, and even preached occasionally during their evangelistic meetings.

Dwayne had a passion for preaching and evangelism, and he started his own ministry, Dwayne Friend Ministries, in the 1970s. He had a successful 30-minute Sunday morning television show, performing music and preaching, and he also held crusades from coast to coast, seeing thousands come to know Christ.

Gene Reasoner (Jubilation/White River) shares these words about Dwayne, with whom he was good friends: “I met Dwayne when I was 14 years old and his superb musicianship captured my heart. He became an icon and mentor to me. His greatest asset was not his skill on the guitar, it was his heart for evangelism. He won thousands to Jesus in his crusades and became known for his powerful invitations to the altar. His preaching hero was Billy Graham and he patterned his preaching and altar call style after Rev Graham. He will be missed.”

Funeral arrangements for Dwayne Friend are as follows:
Visitation will begin at 9 a.m. CT, followed by the funeral service at 10 a.m. CT, both at Crossroads of Faith Church, which is just north of Mountain Grove at the address 8515 Highway 38, Mountain Grove, Missouri, 65711. For more information and directions, or to post a tribute to Dwayne, visit the Craig-Hurtt Funeral Home website or call (417) 926-4111.

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And they appreciate it.

There’s nothing really wrong with those tokens of appreciation. It is true that some fans can get a little carried away but things usually work out just fine.

But if you really want to do something to support Southern Gospel music artists—something that is truly needed—I’d like to suggest this: Pray.

We all know that God is on duty 24/7. As Christians we’ve been taught that His office never closes, and He never hangs out a “Be Back Tomorrow” sign. Less emphasis, however, seems to have been placed on the fact that the devil doesn’t shut down at 5 p.m., either. That troublemaker his own “Open 24 Hours” sign.

The people who perform Southern Gospel music are not mythical superhuman figures who are immune to what the everyday person faces in life. And while I’m not minimizing anyone’s issues when I say this, I have to wonder if many artists face more than their share of troubles and obstacles because they are so driven to do something for God.

Those who read my blog often know that I usually have a light-hearted approach to my writing. I assure you, however, I’ve never been more serious as I am right now. As I write this, I know artists within our community who are dealing with financial difficulties, artists who are facing marital issues, artists who are struggling with questions about their calling on their lives, artists who are wondering if their ministry can survive one more setback, artists who are afraid to leave town because it might be the last time they see a loved one, artists who are fighting depression because they are watching their kids grow up without them, and there’s so much more.

Meanwhile the devil just keeps pushing a little harder, grinding a little deeper. And he’s laughing the whole time.

I love what John Bunyan, writer of “The Pilgrim’s Progress,” said centuries ago: Prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for Satan. Those words help to show why we need to continually pray for those in Southern Gospel music (and, yes, elsewhere). They need support from every angle. We need to be bombarding the portals of Heaven with pleas on their behalf. When we make the comment “I’ll pray for you,” that doesn’t mean we say it, walk off, and forget it within 30 seconds—it means we do it. You don’t have to wait until Sunday to pray for these people. There’s no need to wait until you see them so you can meet them at the bus door. Just do it. Do it now in your office, in your car, in your home, wherever.

Just do it.

Yesterday was the National Day of Prayer. But that doesn’t mean it was the only day of prayer. We all have plenty we need to pray over—just my list alone would require a National Century of Prayer. But now, more than ever, remember this group of special people. They need it.

And they appreciate it.