Some people pass through our lives and leave memories behind. Others change the course of our lives forever. Dennis Onopa was that kind of person. He was my closest friend, mentor, brother in music, and one of the greatest blessings I have ever known.
Last night, I lost someone whose presence shaped my life in ways I will carry with me forever. Dennis was not only a gifted musician; he was a teacher, a leader, a protector, and a man whose faith, kindness, and love touched everyone fortunate enough to know him.
I hope you will take a moment to read this chapter of my life—a chapter I was blessed to share with one of the most remarkable human beings I have ever known.
I first met Dennis when I was a teenager. We had been hired to play at a wedding and met during a rehearsal. Over the following year, we played several gigs together and formed a friendship that would eventually grow into a lifelong brotherhood.
When I was just beginning my musical journey, Dennis believed in me. He taught me how to play bass, how to sing, and ultimately helped me become the performer I am today. Dennis was already a seasoned musician and brilliant arranger. He could play almost any instrument as naturally and beautifully as if it were the first and only instrument he had ever known.
He was also a true musical visionary. Dennis was one of the first—if not the first—musicians I knew to program music onto floppy disks using an Atari computer, something almost unheard of at the time. That creativity and innovation eventually led Dennis and me to perform together as a duo, a musical partnership that continued into his final days. Those memories will remain among the greatest treasures of my life.
Dennis was also an essential part of Hypnosis, famously known as “El Paso’s Most Dangerous Band.” I always loved that in nearly every band photograph, Dennis stood front and center. It was almost as if he were saying, “If you want a piece of any of my bandmates, you’ll have to go through me first.” That was Dennis — strong, loyal, protective, and always there for his brothers.
But as extraordinary as Dennis was as a musician, his greatest accomplishment was the life he lived as a steadfast Christian. He didn’t simply speak about his faith—he lived it, breathed it, and walked it every day.
We affectionately called him “The Preacher” of the band. Before we stepped onto the stage, Dennis would gather us together and lead us in prayer. Then we would walk out like warriors, ready to attack every note, every rhythm, and every musical phrase with purpose—to hypnotize the audience with our music.
Dennis was our leader, even though I don’t believe he ever fully realized how deeply we respected him or how much we all looked up to him. His influence reached far beyond the stage. He taught us about loyalty, humility, faith, discipline, laughter, and love.
Thank you, my brother—our brother—Dennis.
Your musical and spiritual light will continue to shine through every one of us who was blessed to experience your love, peace, laughter, and friendship. Every note we play will carry a little piece of you. Every prayer before a performance will remind us of you. And every stage we step onto will feel different because you are no longer standing there beside us.
Until we meet again, my brother, please know that I was truly blessed and honored to have you in my life.
Your music may have ended here on Earth, but your song will live forever in our hearts.
I love you, Brother Dennis.
Rest peacefully in the arms of the Lord.
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Photo: Hypnosis – El Paso’s Most Dangerous Band | From Mark Fowler’s Facebook page
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