Musician Todd Eckart Killed in Head-On Crash, Music Community Mourns

DULUTH, Minn.– The Duluth community is grieving after the unexpected passing of local musician Todd Eckart.

Wednesday afternoon, Eckart was killed in a wrong way head on collision in Hawthorne Township.

Channeling the soul, and tunes of the era of Buddy Holly, his voice and impact was heard around the Twin Ports.

“He played the music that they kind of grew up listening to and enjoyed, Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash, just a lot of different varieties. But they all knew the songs that he was singing and could sing along,” said Heather White Peterson, Life Enrichment Assistant Ecumen Lakeshore.

“He really engaged them into his music. And made them feel kind of back in time a little bit when they were a little younger,” added White Peterson.

The video below is FOX 21’s 9 p.m. coverage:

When the news broke for some of his close friends and colleagues, it was nothing short of unbelievable.

“An uncle or someone had posted something on Todd’s Facebook page, and boom, it was just wildfire,” said Tracy Lundeen, President of Lundeen Productions.

“You know, like all of us, you know, we have our moments. but Todd, Todd just had a connection. he had a way of just really being able to, you know, look at you and you just kind of like him. You know, how could you not like the guy and then his talent kind of spoke for itself,” said Lundeen.

And following this tragedy, his peers are reflecting and remembering everything he brought to the table specifically, in the Twin Ports region.

“Todd was overly generous. you could argue with his time and talents, because he was so good that he could have found himself in bright lights in New York or Las Vegas doing a regular routine, but he chose to stay here and chose to spend a lot of his weekends. Which is when you might have bigger gigs, playing benefits and fundraisers,” said Matt Baumgartner, President Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce.

“He played an hour long set for veterans who ranged in age from close to 100 to, you know, some of the younger Vietnam vets and everybody else who was there. and he had people dancing and singing. and it was such a wonderful thing to see,” said Baumgartner.

And at this time, even when times are tough, the community is urging others to seek out the positives.

“So, to the friends, family and loved ones, my condolences. I’m feeling it too, and I challenge everybody to reach in and find their inner Todd Eckart and be a little bit kinder and a little bit more caring and charitable,” said Baumgartner.

A go fund me has been created to help the cost of end-of-life arrangements, as well as any additional bills.