INDIANAPOLIS — With the beat of a drum, 48-year-old Frank Saywer was the heartbeat of the Indianapolis Jazz Orchestra.
"And that's what he was. That was his role. He was the heartbeat and when he started playing, he was very chill but boy he was in the zone once he started playing," Rick Vale said.
Singer, and Artistic Director, Rick Vale shared the stage with Sawyer for at least a decade.
He says Sawyer's passion was always felt.
"He loved performing. He loved making people happy. He was gifted at it," Vale said. "He was one of the finest drummers I ever worked with. He just loved his parents and he was proud when they were there."
Those performances are now cherished memories.
Sunday, Sawyer was walking on the city's east side before metro police say he was killed by a hit-and-run driver.
"It's just kind of numbing. Now, it's hard to believe it's really true," Vale said.
His passing marked the 21st deadly hit and run across Indianapolis.
It's the highest since 2011.
"He is, as we all come, a statistic, but this was a magnificent life," Vale said.
Friends and family don't want Sawyer to be remembered as the man who broke a tragic statistic.
They want him to be remembered as a talented drummer with a big heart.
"Frank was a very unassuming, very calm, steady, very friendly, always smiling," Vale said.
While his presence on stage will never be fulfilled, his legacy will live on.
-
Bridging the gap... Literally
There's a new way to travel to the AMP at 16 Tech from downtown Indy and nearby communities. It's a new connector off West 10th Street and Riley Hospital Drive.
'It’s stealing joy': Hoosiers react to clash involving Haliburton's dad, Bucks
Despite the Pacers big overtime win to eliminate the Bucks in the first round of the playoffs, an interaction after the game between Tyrese Haliburton’s dad is what made a lot of the headlines.
IMPD asking community to help locate missing teen
18-year-old Zachary Bean was last seen on Wednesday in the 300 block of N. Jersey Street, police say.
Price of gold hitting all-time highs
The price of gold is up $1,000 from a year ago and more than 30% since the start of the year. Experts say it’s due to the current state of the economy.
