Deep Ellum People: Dezi 5
By Taylor Adams Cogan “I’m a musician, a community activist, and a Dallas native.” Dezman Lehman, known as Dezi 5, introduces himself simply, but behind that is plenty of history. For the musician, Deep Ellum isn’t just a place to perform: It’s part of his story going back to childhood. Dezi grew up in Oak […]
Deep Ellum People: Jeffrey Liles
By Taylor Adams Cogan Today, you can find Jeffrey Liles at concerts that fill the Kessler Theater and Longhorn Ballroom with music and inspired fans. As the artistic director of each, he’s booking the entertainment that people look forward to. While he’s working at venues with established names and reliable followings, Jeffrey got his start […]
Deep Ellum People: Gino “LockJohnson” Iglehart
By Taylor Adams Cogan Gino “LockJohnson” Iglehart has been part of Deep Ellum for more than three decades; long enough to remember watching legends through a window because he wasn’t old enough to walk through the door. “I played my first gig in Deep Ellum when I was 16,” Gino, now 50, says, “so I’ve […]
Deep Ellum People: Veronica Young
By Taylor Adams Cogan There’s no question: running social media for all of Deep Ellum is a cool gig. But not just anyone can do it. You need more than an eye for a good photo, some video editing skills, and the ability to keep up with platform trends. For our neighborhood, you need someone […]
Deep Ellum People: Kari LaRue
By Taylor Adams Cogan Kari LaRue didn’t plan to run a live music venue. She grew up in Liberty, Texas — east of Houston, not far from Beaumont — and followed a straightforward path to Dallas for school. After graduating from Southern Methodist University, she landed a teaching position at the Winston School, where she […]
Deep Ellum People: Scarlett Deering
By Taylor Adams Cogan Some people snuck into Deep Ellum as teens with their friends. Others made their first trip there to see a band play. More spent long nights at late-night venues. Scarlett Deering went to the neighborhood for music, too – but she was just a kid, and the musicians were her parents. […]
Deep Ellum People: Jay Gavit
By Taylor Adams Cogan Live music has a way of making someone fall in love with it. In the best possible way, of course, making someone yearn to feel the vibrating bass run through them and the melody that won’t let their body stop moving. Deep Ellum venues each have that pull, working together to […]
Deep Ellum People: Moses Habtezghi
By Taylor Adams Cogan Talk to a venue owner in Deep Ellum about booking live acts on the neighborhood’s stages, and there’s a strong chance you’ll hear the name Moses Habtezghi. There’s a chance you’ve known him from his many years at Three Links, but he’s a man many creatives just love to work with. […]
Deep Ellum People: Vera “Velma” Hernandez
By Taylor Adams Cogan When Vera “Velma” Hernandez talks about live music, her determined face lights up with excited eyes and just a slight smile. She knows what she’s talking about, and you can tell she’s loved it all her life. While a talented and recognized photographer, it’s clear the music helps drive her creative […]
Deep Ellum People: Jerry Rutherford
By Taylor Adams Cogan Like plenty of others, Jerry Rutherford doesn’t make it out to Deep Ellum as much as he once did. A small stroke a few years ago made it harder to get around, and going out every night just doesn’t make the most sense anymore. “Financially, it’s not feasible for me to […]