Concert for Brough Family: Trooper, Police Officer’s Wife Are Among Performers
By Teri Maddox, Belleville News-Democrat, Ill.
Jan. 11–David Filkins can identify with Jon Brough, the Belleville police sergeant who survived a shotgun blast to the face while trying to capture a double-murder suspect in November.
“It really hit home,” said Filkins, 43, an Illinois State Police trooper from New Athens. “It could happen to me or anyone else in law enforcement.”
Filkins wanted to do something for Brough’s family, so he organized a benefit concert. It will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday at Grace Church in Fairview Heights.
Music includes bluegrass by the Chris Talley Trio, jazz by the Tony DiPasquale Quartet and Christian pop by Grace Church’s praise band with Filkins on bass.
“We play mostly Christian pop,” he said. “It’s not the typical organ and piano that you hear in many churches. I love that, too, but it’s just not the style of music we’re into.”
Filkins organized the concert with help from Chris Talley Armstrong, a state champion fiddle and banjo player and owner of the Bluegrass Shack in New Athens. Her trio was named “best bluegrass band” in the St. Louis area by the Riverfront Times last year.
Armstrong’s husband, Earl, is a Belleville police officer. She was performing at a Springfield bluegrass festival the day Brough was shot.
“I had five or 10 minutes to go on stage when I heard the news, and I just started crying,” Armstrong said. “You’re thinking, ‘That could be my husband.’ It was very, very difficult. But we went ahead and played. It was like we were in a daze.”
Tony DiPasquale is a band teacher with Belleville School District 118. He also plays with trios and quartets at venues in Belleville and St. Louis.
“I actually taught Jon’s son, Paul, in band so I know Jon, and he’s been so supportive,” DiPasquale said. “He and his family have a special place, and I wanted to do anything I could to help them.”
Brough, 48, of Belleville was part of a police raid conducted Nov. 10 to capture Larry Sicka, who was accused of murdering his estranged wife’s parents. Sicka committed suicide later that day.
Brough suffered extensive facial injuries and lost his sight and sense of smell. He spent seven weeks in the hospital and a week at a rehabilitation center before going home Friday to his wife, Wendy, and sons, Paul and Jon Jr.
The concert is the lastest in a string of benefits held for the family. A fund-raiser at Union United Methodist Church in Belleville raised about $8,000 on Sunday.
Filkins noted Brough’s insurance and disability payments won’t cover all his medical and other expenses. “Somebody’s going to have to care for Jon for a period of time,” he said.
Saturday’s concert will give Grace Church a chance to show off its new, state-of-the-art sound system. The combination of bluegrass, jazz and Christian pop is designed to appeal to a wide audience.
“This may be dangerous, but we’re going to have a closing number (‘Amazing Grace’) with all three bands,” Filkins said. “We’ll see how it turns out.”
The church is at 5151 N. Illinois St. in Fairview Heights. Admission is free. An offering will collected. For more information, call 977-3182.
Contact reporter Teri Maddox at tmaddox@bnd.com or 345-7822, ext. 26.
Jon Brough benefit concert
When: 7 p.m. Saturday.
Where: Grace Church, 5151 N. Illinois in Fairview Heights.
Who: Chris Talley Trio, Tony Dipasquale Trio and Grace Church Band.
Admission: Free; an offering wil be collected.
Information: Call 977-3182.
—–
Copyright (c) 2007, Belleville News-Democrat, Ill.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.
For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.