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.
-
ISP: Man killed in police-involved shooting in Marion
The Indiana State Police are investigating a police-involved shooting that resulted in the death of a Marion man
Mathurin misses Game 4 of series with Bucks due to abdominal bruise
Indiana guard Bennedict Mathurin isn’t playing in Game 4 of the Pacers’ first-round series with the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday night due to an abdominal bruise.
Mooresville police release body cam video after officer struck; no arrests made
Mooresville Police released body-worn video from a Friday night incident involving the pursuit of a driver who struck an officer, resulting in a broken thumb and sprains to the officer's leg.
'No one should go hungry': Hoosiers unite to pack 15,000 meals in just one hour
Hundreds of Hoosiers gathered at the Indiana State Rotary District Conference to pack 15,000 meals in just one hour, fighting back against the rising tide of food insecurity across the state.
