Apollo theatre victim was only person to buy band shirt before deadly roof collapse, singer recalls
BELVIDERE, Ill. (WLS) -- A singer who was with a band performing Friday night at the Apollo Theatre in Belvidere when the roof collapsed spoke exclusively with ABC7 Sunday about the deadly event.
One man was killed and dozens of other people were hurt.
The band "Crypta" was the only group who performed that night before the storms came through.
Falling debris killed a man who the band met before the show.
The constant ringing is still hard to silence in her head after sheltering in the Apollo Theatre's basement while an EF-1 tornado barreled down on Belvidere.
WATCH: See inside Apollo Theatre in Belvidere after roof collapse
"I listen to the sirens, my whole body shivers," said Fernanda Lira. "The tornado was there. You can see, like, super strong winds. And people - they were struggling to close the door."
Lira is the lead singer and bass guitarist of Brazilian heavy metal band, Crypta.
They were the opening act at Friday night's concert where more than 200 people attended before the show was canceled and the storm blew through within minutes.
"We felt the whole building shaking, and it was like makes noises. Huge, super loud noise," she recalled. "And then we started listening to people screaming upstairs."
Upstairs is where she saw the devastation.
"There's a big chunk that fell on the stage, but most of it fell on people, like, starting from the front row," Lira said.
Apollo Theatre before and after roof collpase
She also said the band's RV was smashed.
Under the rubble was Fred Livingston, Jr., the only person to die in the roof collapse.
A man, Lira said, her band remembers well that night.
"He was the only fan who bought a t-shirt from us. The first and only," she said.
Just days after getting their equipment out of the theater, the band is back on the road, performing Sunday in Hobart, Indiana.
But Lira said there's only one fan she'll be singing for -- the man who supported her band in his final moments alive.
"We climb on stage and we want to make people smile, you know? And, in the end this tragedy happened, and knowing this small detail about this guy, it truly breaks my heart," Lira said.
Lira is urging everyone to continue to support the Livingston family.
