RIP Erik

Dallas' Western Swing king and founder of Cowboys & Indians Erik Swanson dies

Musician Erik Swanson was a larger-than-life figure.

Courtesy photo

Musician Erik Swanson, who ruled the Western Swing genre in Dallas, died on February 16 at his home. He was 57.

According to friends of the family, Swanson had been suffering from ALS, aka amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Swanson was in a number of bands, including Cowboys & Indians, where he served as singer and dynamic frontman, always wearing a cowboy hat, always with a gregarious charm. The band released two albums, 1995's The Western Life, and 1998's A Big Night in Cowtown.

He also performed with Texas Gypsies, Shoot Low Sheriff, and Over the River, a bluegrass band in which longtime Dallas musician Kim Herriage also played.

Herriage describes Swanson as a larger-than-life figure who was a friend to all.

"With his hat, his physical size, his voice — he could sing so loudly — there was something iconic about him," Herriage says. "He was so affable, and had an acerbic wit, but he wasn't mean. I think that's why everybody liked him. Besides being super talented and a student of Western swing, he was a good dude."

Musician Dustin Ballard, who played fiddle with Swanson in Shoot Low Sheriff, said that, for all his talent, Swanson was modest.

"He was the most humble guy, he had no ego, and was such a pleasure to be around," Ballard said.

In addition to his musical career, Swanson had another entirely separate and successful career as a graphic designer and creative director for agencies, after graduating from the University of North Texas with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design.

He also had a long history in Dallas: His grandfather Dr. Frank V. Swanson was founder of the oldest optical house in Dallas.

Swanson is survived by his wife Tami and his mother Linda, as well as siblings, nieces, and nephews.

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Weed News

Texas AG Ken Paxton sues Dallas over decriminalization of marijuana

Photo courtesy of US Fish & Wildlife

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The City of Dallas has been sued by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for its efforts to decriminalize marijuana.

According to a release, Paxton has sued the city for adopting a city charter amendment that would decriminalize marijuana-related offenses and prohibit police from enforcing Texas law.

That amendment was Proposition R, or Dallas Freedom Act, which decriminalizes possession of four ounces of marijuana or less. Voters passed the amendment in the November 5 election, with 67 percent voting in favor.

The lawsuit, filed against the Dallas City Council, alleges that Proposition R is unconstitutional and violates Texas drug laws criminalizing any amount of marijuana.

Paxton says that cities can't "pick and choose which state laws to follow." He's proposing a permanent injunction to stop Proposition R from going into effect.

"The City of Dallas has no authority to override Texas drug laws or prohibit the police from enforcing them," says Paxton in a statement. "This is a backdoor attempt to violate the Texas Constitution, and any city that tries to constrain police in this fashion will be met swiftly with a lawsuit by my office.”

Before the recent election, possession of two to four ounces of marijuana could result in a punishment of 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.

Ground Game Texas, the activist nonprofit that has also helped get marijuana decriminalization on the ballot in elections across Texas, first got the issue on the ballot in July with the necessary 50,000 signatures.

Dallas is not the only city to be sued; Paxton also filed lawsuits against five other cities in Austin, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and San Marcos in January for their ballots and policies decriminalizing marijuana.

Both Austin and San Marcos had a judge overturn their cases, according to a FOX 4 report.

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