(Photo from Del Rendon Foundation)
- A talented musician and artist who made a name for himself in Starkville and regionally, Del Rendon loved and embraced his community.
It says a lot about a man and the impact he has on others when, twenty years after his death, people still remember and celebrate him. Such is the case with Del Rendon, an ordinary young man who did extraordinary things.
A talented musician and artist who made a name for himself in Starkville and regionally, Del Rendon loved and embraced his community. As a musician, he played rock and blues for twenty years, touring throughout the Southeast and Nashville, Tennessee. As an artist, he created a body of art that included paintings, drawings, woodworking, sculpture, and more.
With a masters in fine art, Del taught art at Starkville High School. He jammed locally with musicians who would go on to be members of Blind Melon.
Del gave his time and energy to helping others, working tirelessly and selflessly when he saw others in need. His love for life and his compassion towards others touched the hearts of countless folks, and when he died on September 4, 2005, he left a void that is felt far and wide. In an article in the Mississippi State University student newspaper, The Reflector, student journalist Kaitlin Mullins reports that days before his untimely death, Del was collecting clothes and other supplies to drive to the Mississippi Gulf Coast for victims of Hurricane Katrina.
A group of friends in the Starkville community rallied together to establish the Del Rendon Foundation in 2006. They desired not only to remember Del but to embrace his love of art, music, community, friends, and family. The mission of the organization has never changed.
The Del Rendon Foundation is a 501C-3 public charity that raises funds in support of local and regional art and music activities. An art scholarship was established at Mississippi State University that is currently endowed at $100K (and growing). The Foundation is also seeking out other ways in which to channel its fundraising efforts.
One of the ways the Foundation worked to both remember Del and to raise money is with the annual Del Rendon Music and Art Festival, or Delfest as it’s often called – one of the biggest locally-produced music and art festivals in the Golden Triangle area.
For years the festival took place each spring at Dave’s Dark Horse Tavern in Starkville, where Del once waited tables with Dave Hood, who now owns the place. Regional musicians and artists show up to participate and to celebrate Del’s passion for art and music. Their efforts have been the driving force behind the biggest fundraiser for the Foundation each year. The festival has always been produced by friends and family.
