This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Oct. 24, 2011 - A little over 20 years ago, on March 16, 1991, seven members of country star Reba McEntire's band as well as her road manager and two pilots died in a plane crash in the mountains just east of San Diego.
Three of the band members -- band leader and keyboard player Kirk Cappello, bassist Terry Jackson and drummer Tony Saputo -- were St. Louisans. And all of them attended Webster University where they studied music and became close friends.
The three musicians had all played together in St. Louis as members of popular vocalist Ralph Butler's band and eventually had relocated to Nashville, Tenn. Cappello was the first to move to the national music scene, first joining the band of country vocalist Barbara Mandrell, where he soon became band leader.
McEntire soon recruited Cappello to lead her band, and he recruited his friends Jackson (who had moved to Los Angeles to work with British pop musician Thomas Dolby) and Saputo to join him. Cappello had been with McEntire's band for four years. Saputo and Jackson had joined about 14 months before the accident.
At the time of the crash, Saputo was 34 years old, and Jackson was 28. Cappello was just days away from his 29th birthday.
After the tragedy, McEntire immediately cancelled upcoming tour dates and organized a memorial service in Nashville, where Johnny Cash eulogized the musicians. Ricky Skaggs, Larry Gatlin, Vince Gill, Lee Greenwood, the Judds and other Nashville music luminaries also attended.
Funeral arrangement for Cappello, Jackson and Saputo soon followed in St. Louis.
The deaths of the three musicians hit Webster University's music department especiall hard. Paul DeMarinis, director of Jazz Studies at Webster University and one of the most respected saxophone players on the area music scene, remembers the impact the news of the deaths had on the music department -- and the campus.
"It was devastating," recalls DeMarinis during a recent phone conversation. "Absolutely terrible. What a loss any time young people pass before their time."
Beyond the immediate feelings of loss and grief, both faculty and students decided to do something to commemorate Cappello, Jackson and Saputo.
Schaolarship Winners Speak
"The TKT Jazz Scholarship has allowed me not only to have the financial means to continue my education and pursue my goals, but it has also taught me the power that music can have to connect all people. There is no doubt that the legacy of Terry, Kirk and Tony lives on through the exceptional generosity of their families. I am truly blessed to have received this scholarship."
-- Matt McKeever, 2009-10 TKT Scholar
"The TKT Jazz Scholarship is represented by three down-to-earth families brought together by a love for their sons and a love of music. I have been privileged enough to receive this award and have met the families. I am gratified to continue in the musical legacy of Terry, Kirk, and Tony."
--Mark Wallace, 2010-11 TKT Scholar
"There was an immediate reaction to try and do something," says DeMarinis. "And it seemed like starting a scholarship was the right path to follow."
That was the start of the TKT Jazz Scholarship effort put together with the help of the musicians' families, friends and the Jazz Studies Department. The initials come from the three first names of Jackson, Cappello and Saputo.
"We lost them in March 1991," says DeMarinis. "And we had our first fund-raising concert that fall. By 1993, we had raised enough funds to be able to award the first scholarship."
For DeMarinis, "The TKT Jazz Scholarship celebrates more than just the talent and discipline of young performers. It honors their courage and integrity as they discover what is most real and true to them in the process of defining their own musical identities."
According to DeMarinis, 38 TKT scholarships have been awarded over the past 20 years. (See sidebar for comments by recipients.) Recently, he contacted the scholarship winners to find out what they had done since leaving Webster University.
"We did some research on the scholarship winners in conjunction with the 20th anniversary concert coming up on Oct. 24," says DeMarinis. "It was really interesting. Almost across the board, we've found that the scholarship winners, have been leading some very creative lives -- primarily in music. And it's interesting that not only are many of them playing music professionally, but they are also working in areas such as music production and other areas. It's very gratifying to see."
What: TKT Scholarship concert
When: 7 p.m., Mon., Oct. 24
Where: Loretto-Hilton Center, 130 Edgar Road
How much: $20 in advance ($15 of the cost is tax-deductible). For more info, call 314-968-7032. Click here to buy tickets.
What else: Performers include Ralph Butler, Denise Thimes and Debby Lennon. The band include Ptah Williams, Tom Byrne joining Webster faculty members Paul DeMarinis, Kim Portnoy, Steve Schenkel, Willem von Hombrecht, Kevin Gianino and Carolbeth True. CBS News Correspondent Russ Mitchell, a close friend of the Jackson family, will host the evening.
Terry Perkins, a freelance writer in St. Louis, covers the local music scene. .