Louisville Guitarist Passes Away After Collapsing At Battle Of The Bands

A Louisville band is heartbroken after their guitarist passed away after a performance.

The Les Masters Band took part in a Battle of the Bands competition at the Marion County Fairgrounds on Saturday, June 5. The competition turned into a tragedy when 51-year-old Randy Chandler collapsed during the band's third song.

A nurse rushed on the stage to perform CPR and Chandler was taken to a nearby hospital, where he later died.

“He’ll never be replaced and we’re not even looking for somebody to replace him. I hugged him (before the performance) and I said, ‘you’re going to kill it today Randy. You’re going to kill it today, my friend.’ And he said, ‘I love you boss.’ And he always called me boss," Les Masters told WAVE.

The participating bands stepped up to help Chandler's family pay for his funeral after the sudden passing. The winning bands agreed to donate $5,000 for funeral expenses while a spokesperson for the Marion County Fair Board said the board will contribute an additional $500.

The Les Masters Band plans to one day return to the stage in honor of Chandler.

“There’s no doubt that Randy Chandler would want us to go on and play music. And we’re going to take some time to grieve and we’re going to play it in Randy’s honor," Masters told the station.

Photo: Getty Images