These notable figures from Dallas passed away in 2020
These notable figures from Dallas passed away in 2020 Writer and editor Mary Malouf was a larger-than-life character.
Photo courtesy of Stuart Graves It s fair to say that death loomed large in 2020, thanks to COVID-19. As of December 31, nearly 2,000 people in Dallas died of the virus, nearly 28,000 in Texas, and more than 341,000 in the U.S. But the virus was not the cause of death for most of the celebrities, performers, and activists on this list of notable Dallasites who passed on in 2020. Here s a last farewell, in chronological order:
Tony Edwards, music enthusiast and Deep Ellum dynamo, died in April. A Deep Ellum regular who d worked in Dallas music industry for many years, he was found dead in his apartment. A coroner determined he died of natural causes. He was 46.
The spirit of Dallas’ Moon Mansion Christmas Party continues virtually
On Christmas Eve, Poppy Xander will perform Christmas songs online.
Musician and performer Poppy Xander plays the piano for a 2018 house party on Christmas Eve hosted by John Ashley Bellamy (far left with long beard) at his East Dallas home, a former Methodist Church known as the Moon Mansion. Bellamy died this month, and Poppy will now perform virtually for an online edition of the party.(Michael R Moore)
For decades, artist John Ashley Bellamy hosted legendary Christmas Eve parties at his East Dallas home, a former Methodist Church known as the Moon Mansion. The pandemic canceled any plans for the party this year, and Bellamy’s passing on Dec. 8 might mean it will never happen again. But singing along to Christmas carols for hours was always one of the main attractions, and it will carry on virtually.
March 23 at 2:12 p.m.
Pedro González Radio DJs have to craft a personality for their on-air audience. Hip-hop DJ and musician Pedro González, known as GSpook, didn t need to make up a personality to reach his audience. He was the same person, says Dallas DJ J-Kruz, who met GSpook when they worked at K104 FM. January 27 at 4 a.m.
This was always going to be a bittersweet story. A story about four friends, bound together by the act of creation and love for one another, whose creative exploits are a part of Dallas-Fort Worth music history and who had rediscovered their artistic bond in time to mount a potential.
John Ashley Bellamy, a Dallas artist and arts patron, died Tuesday, Dec. 8, at age 77. For many Dallasites, Bellamy’s death also means an end to a long-standing holiday tradition: the annual Christmas Eve party where eclectic crowds gathered each year to celebrate at Bellamy’s home, an old church known as the Moon Mansion.
The mansion served as a refuge for those seeking warmth on a night that can feel awfully cold for loners, and Bellamy was, for many, a big part of Christmas. He was a father that anyone would have dreamed for, Bellamy’s son, Gaelan Bellamy says. He provided all of the tools for what it would take to become a loving, caring, empathetic individual with integrity, and he really had all of those in spades … he did his best to pass that over to his children and all of those he would mentor. [His] reach was far and wide.”