‘It’s a big loss’ Community mourns local musician after fatal fire in Soulard apartment

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - One person died in a fire at the 1800 block of South 9th Street in St. Louis on Saturday night.

The St. Louis Fire Department responded to the scene a few blocks away from the Soulard Farmers Market just before 9 p.m. to an occupied two-story brick building. At the scene, firefighters found a man down in the bedroom, where the fire was.

The man, in his 60s, was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters entered the building, according to police. The fire was quickly put out, but the man had already died from his injuries.

Police have not identified the man who died in the fire, but the St. Louis Blues Society said that the victim was Tom Hall, a well-known musician who has been playing for decades in St. Louis. Some called Hall one of the best acoustic blues guitarists in town.

“We send much love and condolences to the family of Tom Hall. Rest In “Blues” Heaven our dear friend,” they shared in a Facebook post.

Friends and fans have left flowers and notes on the boarded-up door outside Hall’s Soulard apartment.

“Everybody’s a mess. He was a great guy. It’s a big loss,” said Lyn and Denny Hammerstone, the owners of Hammerstone’s in Soulard, where Hall played music for nearly three decades.

Friends said that Hall was set to become a grandfather in just a few weeks. There are several memorial shows planned, including one at Hammerstone’s on May 4, a night that Hall was set to play his monthly show.

Fire investigators and Regional Bomb and Arson investigators with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department are investigating this fire. Investigators said an autopsy will give more information on the circumstances of the fire.

correction: A previous version of this story had the incorrect room where the fire occurred.