SALT LAKE CITY -- Of all the people packed into the Acoustic Space in Salt Lake City Friday night, the focus was on the one person not there.
“We're just trying to keep the spirit of Kurt alive; I just picture him looking down on us and saying, 'Yeah guys, he loved us so much,” said Kurt Landenberger ,who is a member of Dealin’ in Dirt.
Kurt Cochran dedicated his life to music, and now this music is dedicated to him.
“He's looking out for us and saying, 'Hey, just keep playing that music,'” Landenberger said.
A wave of heartbreak pulsed throughout the local music community when Kurt was killed during the London terror attack
Kurt and his wife Melissa were in London celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary when the attacker drove an SUV onto the pavement of the Westminster Bridge
Kurt died hours later and Melissa is still in the hospital.
“I know where Kurt is now, and now we're just praying for Melissa and doing whatever we can to help her,” Landenberger said.
Now Kurt’s loved ones are playing his favorite songs in hopes to ease the pain. They are also donating all proceeds from the concert to Melissa.
“We want them to know we're all thinking about them, and that we're so sorry for their loss,” said Jacki Chilton, who owns Acoustic Space.
People who never met Kurt came to show their support.
“You could feel it just walking in, I can feel, I wouldn't say sadness but you can feel peace and respect for him,” said Andrew Higham of Salt Lake City.
“They're my neighbor's right down the street, it was extremely shocking, and it's just kind of unbelievable to realize,” said GT Knight of Bountiful
“So his music lives on in our community, and his family might find some comfort in that, knowing his music lives on through this community and we really love them and support them,” Chilton said.
The Go Fund Me account for Melissa can be found here.
There will be a memorial concert for Kurt on Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Bountiful Davis Art Center, and the public is invited to attend. Fellow musicians who worked with Cochran will gather to play songs in his honor and remember his impact on them and the community. Fox 13 News will stream the concert online and on Facebook Sunday.
