Tragedy four decades ago linked the British rock band The Who to a small suburban city in Ohio.
In recent years, members of the community and the band have bonded through a project to memorialize the three teens from Finneytown who were among 11 people killed in a frantic stampede of people trying to get into The Who’s Dec. 3, 1979, Cincinnati concert.
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Tragedy four decades ago linked the British rock band The Who to a small suburban city in Ohio.
A memorial scholarship fund launched in 2010 has benefited 27 Finneytown students so far, with help from The Who, highlighted last year by Roger Daltrey’s visit to the memorial site.
FILE - In this Dec. 3, 1979 file photo, a security guard and an unidentified man look at an area where several people were killed as they were caught in a surging crowd entering Cincinnati's riverfront coliseum for a concert by the British rock band The Who. (AP PhotoBrian Horton, File)
FILE - In this Dec. 3, 1979 file photo, concert-goers and a policeman stand with a pile of shoes and clothing which were left after a crowd surged toward doors to Cincinnati's riverfront coliseum to get into a rock concert by British rock band The Who, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Eleven fans where killed in the tragedy. (AP PhotoBrian Horton, File)
FILE - In this Dec. 4, 1979 file photo, a young man shields his candle from the wind during a memorial service for those killed during a stampede at a rock concert by the British rock band The Who at Cincinnati riverfront coliseum in Cincinnati, Ohio. (AP PhotoBrian Horton, File)
FILE - In this Dec. 3, 1979 file photo, Cincinnati police officers help people crushed during a performance by the rock group The Who in Cincinnati, Ohio. Eleven fans of the rock band were killed when a thousands-strong crowd stampeded to get into Cincinnati’s riverfront coliseum. (Ed ReinkeThe Cincinnati Enquirer via AP, File)
In this Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019 photo, the faces of the three Finneytown students killed in a stampede at The Who's Dec. 3, 1979 concert, are displayed as part of a memorial at the Finneytown High School secondary campus in Finneytown, Ohio. (AP PhotoJohn Minchillo)
In this Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019 photo, Fred Wittenbaum, of the P.E.M. scholarship that memorializes the three Finneytown students killed in a stampede at The Who's Dec. 3, 1979 concert, is interviewed beside a quilted memorial to the dead at the Finneytown High School secondary campus, in Finneytown, Ohio. The small Cincinnati suburb and the British rock band became linked by tragedy 40 years ago. The tragedy has in recent years led to a bond, as The Who has helped memorialize the teens with a scholarship fund benefiting students in their honor every year. (AP PhotoJohn Minchillo)
In this Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019 photo, a signed microphone by The Who's Roger Daltrey is displayed in a memorial cabinet at the Finneytown High School secondary campus in Finneytown, Ohio, along with other mementoes of the three Finneytown students killed in a stampede at the band's 1979 Cincinnati concert. Tragedy four decades ago linked the British rock band to the small suburban city in Ohio. In recent years, members of the community and the band have bonded through a project to memorialize the teens. (AP PhotoJohn Minchillo)
In this Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019 photo, Fred Wittenbaum, of the P.E.M. scholarship that memorializes the three Finneytown students killed in a stampede at The Who's Dec. 3, 1979 concert, is interviewed beside a cabinet of mementos honoring the dead at the Finneytown High School secondary campus, in Finneytown, Ohio. The small Cincinnati suburb and the British rock band became linked by tragedy 40 years ago. The tragedy has in recent years led to a bond, as The Who has helped memorialize the teens with a scholarship fund benefiting students in their honor every year. (AP PhotoJohn Minchillo)
In this Nov. 25, 2019 photo, Finneytown High School alumnus John Hutchins displays a Dec. 3, 1979, concert ticket signed in 2018 by The Who's vocalist Roger Daltrey as he stands in his home near Finneytown, Ohio. Hutchins helped organize a memorial scholarship fund to honor three Finneytown students killed in a fan stampede at The Who's Cincinnati concert 40 years ago. (AP PhotoDan Sewell)
In this Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019 photo, a memorial plaque for eleven concertgoers killed at a 1979 concert stands between Great American Ballpark and Heritage Bank Arena, in Cincinnati. Tragedy four decades ago linked the British rock band The Who to a small suburban city in Ohio. In recent years, members of the community and the band have bonded through a project to memorialize the three teens from Finneytown who were killed in a frantic stampede of people trying to get into The Who’s Dec. 3, 1979, Cincinnati concert. (AP PhotoJohn Minchillo)
Finneytown alums say well over 100 more of their schoolmates were at the concert, and most everyone else in the community has some connection to it.
In this Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019 photo, pictures of the three Finneytown students killed in a stampede at The Who's Dec. 3, 1979 concert, are displayed in a memorial cabinet along with other mementoes at the Finneytown High School secondary campus in Finneytown, Ohio. Tragedy four decades ago linked the British rock band to the small suburban city in Ohio. In recent years, members of the community and the band have bonded through a project to memorialize the teens. (AP PhotoJohn Minchillo)
A memorial scholarship fund launched in 2010 has benefited 27 Finneytown students so far, with help from The Who, highlighted last year by Roger Daltrey’s visit to the memorial site.
Associated Press writer John Carucci contributed from New York.
Follow Dan Sewell at https://www.twitter.com/dansewell
In this Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019 photo, Fred Wittenbaum, of the P.E.M. scholarship that memorializes the three Finneytown students killed in a stampede at The Who's Dec. 3, 1979 concert, stands beside a cabinet of mementoes honoring the dead at the Finneytown High School secondary campus, in Finneytown, Ohio. Tragedy four decades ago linked the British rock band to the small suburban city in Ohio. In recent years, members of the community and the band have bonded through a project to memorialize the teens. (AP PhotoJohn Minchillo)
FILE - In this Dec. 3, 1979 file photo, a security guard and an unidentified man look at an area where several people were killed as they were caught in a surging crowd entering Cincinnati's riverfront coliseum for a concert by the British rock band The Who. (AP PhotoBrian Horton, File)
FILE - In this Dec. 3, 1979 file photo, concert-goers and a policeman stand with a pile of shoes and clothing which were left after a crowd surged toward doors to Cincinnati's riverfront coliseum to get into a rock concert by British rock band The Who, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Eleven fans where killed in the tragedy. (AP PhotoBrian Horton, File)
FILE - In this Dec. 4, 1979 file photo, a young man shields his candle from the wind during a memorial service for those killed during a stampede at a rock concert by the British rock band The Who at Cincinnati riverfront coliseum in Cincinnati, Ohio. (AP PhotoBrian Horton, File)
FILE - In this Dec. 3, 1979 file photo, Cincinnati police officers help people crushed during a performance by the rock group The Who in Cincinnati, Ohio. Eleven fans of the rock band were killed when a thousands-strong crowd stampeded to get into Cincinnati’s riverfront coliseum. (Ed ReinkeThe Cincinnati Enquirer via AP, File)
In this Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019 photo, the faces of the three Finneytown students killed in a stampede at The Who's Dec. 3, 1979 concert, are displayed as part of a memorial at the Finneytown High School secondary campus in Finneytown, Ohio. (AP PhotoJohn Minchillo)
In this Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019 photo, Fred Wittenbaum, of the P.E.M. scholarship that memorializes the three Finneytown students killed in a stampede at The Who's Dec. 3, 1979 concert, is interviewed beside a quilted memorial to the dead at the Finneytown High School secondary campus, in Finneytown, Ohio. The small Cincinnati suburb and the British rock band became linked by tragedy 40 years ago. The tragedy has in recent years led to a bond, as The Who has helped memorialize the teens with a scholarship fund benefiting students in their honor every year. (AP PhotoJohn Minchillo)
In this Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019 photo, a signed microphone by The Who's Roger Daltrey is displayed in a memorial cabinet at the Finneytown High School secondary campus in Finneytown, Ohio, along with other mementoes of the three Finneytown students killed in a stampede at the band's 1979 Cincinnati concert. Tragedy four decades ago linked the British rock band to the small suburban city in Ohio. In recent years, members of the community and the band have bonded through a project to memorialize the teens. (AP PhotoJohn Minchillo)
In this Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019 photo, Fred Wittenbaum, of the P.E.M. scholarship that memorializes the three Finneytown students killed in a stampede at The Who's Dec. 3, 1979 concert, is interviewed beside a cabinet of mementos honoring the dead at the Finneytown High School secondary campus, in Finneytown, Ohio. The small Cincinnati suburb and the British rock band became linked by tragedy 40 years ago. The tragedy has in recent years led to a bond, as The Who has helped memorialize the teens with a scholarship fund benefiting students in their honor every year. (AP PhotoJohn Minchillo)
In this Nov. 25, 2019 photo, Finneytown High School alumnus John Hutchins displays a Dec. 3, 1979, concert ticket signed in 2018 by The Who's vocalist Roger Daltrey as he stands in his home near Finneytown, Ohio. Hutchins helped organize a memorial scholarship fund to honor three Finneytown students killed in a fan stampede at The Who's Cincinnati concert 40 years ago. (AP PhotoDan Sewell)
In this Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019 photo, a memorial plaque for eleven concertgoers killed at a 1979 concert stands between Great American Ballpark and Heritage Bank Arena, in Cincinnati. Tragedy four decades ago linked the British rock band The Who to a small suburban city in Ohio. In recent years, members of the community and the band have bonded through a project to memorialize the three teens from Finneytown who were killed in a frantic stampede of people trying to get into The Who’s Dec. 3, 1979, Cincinnati concert. (AP PhotoJohn Minchillo)