'Finally': Marker for 11 killed at The Who concert

Thirty-six years ago, tragedy struck at The Who concert at the old Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati.

Eleven ticket-holders never made it in. They died just outside the southwest plaza entrance, after being trapped and trampled on in crush of people.

Those 11 lives will now, forever, be remembered and honored.

"It's a sad, historic occasion," Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley said as he dedicated a memorial marker Thursday in honor of that day.

The marker, paid for entirely by individual donations, was placed in honor of those 11 lives lost and out of respect to everyone who was affected by the tragedy.

"I believe in music," Cranley said. "I believe in progress, but we can't move forward without remembering."

Cranley stood in front of a similar crowd of friends and family members of the victims at the same time last year and pledged to have a marker in that spot. He told them the city would never forget.

"I waited 35 years from that night to see this," said David Eavey, who was 11 when he attended The Who concert in 1979.

He described the concert as "chaos, a mess, a nightmare, something that never should've happened."

Along with the ticket stub from that night, Eavey still has pain from that night. He almost didn't survive.

His right shoulder and hand were crushed and his back was pounded as he was pushed to the ground. He said if a girl named Rose and her sister Mercedes hadn't put a shield around him, he would've been number 12.

The day and a certain photo still haunt him.

"That could've been me," Eavey said, pointing to an empty, black space between images of the victims on that photo.

For many, this dedication was part of the healing process.

Bob Vater was 18 when he and his best friend, Dave Heck, attended the concert.

Heck was killed in the rush into the concert. He was 19 years old.

With tears in his eyes, Vater said, "I'm still struggling with it."

Heck's mom, Mary Lou, was also at the dedication. It was the first time she'd seen the annual memorial.

"It's hard to come back here," she said. "It's great that they remember after all these years. People think you forget, but you don't."

It was the deadliest concert in American history. It was a disaster that evoked change.

"Maybe the fact that it happened saved a lot of other lives," Mary Lou Heck said.

It fueled the passage of a crowd safety ordinance that ensured this would never happen again, at any music venue, anywhere in the world.

"Music binds us. It ties generations together and is always there in good times and bad," Cranley said. "We need the music to continue to play in Cincinnati."

A candle inside a lantern was lit for each of the victims and a moment of silence was shared.

The marker was unveiled and cheers rang out across the crowd.

"Finally."

​Eleven

In Memoriam

Walter Adams Jr. 22 Trotwood OH

Peter Bowes 18 Wyoming OH

Connie Sue Burns 21 Miamisburg OH

Jacqueline Eckerle 15 Finneytown OH

David Heck 19 Highland Heights KY

Teva Rae Ladd 27 Newtown OH

Karen Morrison 15 Finneytown OH

Stephan Preston 19 Finneytown OH

Philip Snyder 20 Franklin OH

Bryan Wagner 17 Fort Thomas KY

James Warmoth 21 Franklin OH