RIP Tony

Tony Edwards, beloved music enthusiast and Deep Ellum dynamo, dies at 46

Tony Edwards was known for his enthusiasm and great passion for music.

Courtesy photo

Tony Edwards, a musician and Deep Ellum regular who'd worked in Dallas' music industry for many years, was found dead in his apartment in April; he was 46.

Born Charles Anthony Edwards on September 27, 1973, he worked for a number of Dallas record labels including One Ton Records, and also sang in local bands.

He was first and foremost an unabashed music enthusiast with a zest for life, an openness towards people, and an always cheerful personality that endeared him to everyone he met.

A graduate of UT Arlington, he went on to work for labels including Sony/BMG and Crystal Clear Records, as well as music affiliated companies such as Fancorps, co-founded by Mike Swinford of Rainmaker Entertainment and Brando Records, and another company called MutualMind.

He was probably best known from his tenure with One Ton Records in 1997, where his official duties were marketing and promotions. But One Ton founder Aden Holt says that Edwards went above and beyond, pouring his heart and soul into it.

"He basically ran the label — he did everything," Holt says. "He saw the vision of One Ton Records and almost single-handedly brought it to life. Whenever anyone tries to give me credit for the One Ton Records legacy, I always say it was because of Tony."

Edwards also played in a band called Disconnected in '73 with his brother Daniel on drums, guitarist Drew McNeel, and bassist Doug McGrath; and sang backup at a Course of Empire reunion show in August 2016.

McGrath and Edwards took frequent road trips to see bands such as their 2015 excursion to Tempe, Arizona to attend the Summer Ends festival, and a 2013 trip to Tulsa to see The Who perform Quadrophenia. "Tony had to ask his (then) wife if it was OK if he spent Valentine's Day with me," McGrath says.

He was also a Dallas Cowboys fanatic. "He would yell 'Come on!!' at the TV while we watched games," McGrath says. "He was a huge Cowboys fan and always tried to motivate the crowd wherever we were watching."

At 5'5", Tony was on the short side, but he had an oversized energy, bigger-than-life personality, and sense of playfulness, not to mention a perennial smile that put others at ease.

Chelsea Callahan-Haag worked with Tony at Crystal Clear Records in the mid-2000s.

"We worked in a small office, with no windows, for a year," she says. "One of my favorite things we did to entertain ourselves was sing 'We've Got Tonite,' the Kenny Rogers/Sheena Easton version. We printed out the lyrics and when a dramatic part came, we would push out from our desks on our rolling chairs. It was very silly. I'll never forget that time with him."

"It's a tough one," she says. "Everyone loved him."

Holt, who not only worked with Tony at One Ton, but also became his best friend, says that Edwards brought life into every room he entered.

"He was always ready to greet you with a boisterous 'Giddyup!' followed by a giant hug," Holt says. "The guy loved everyone, every band, and every bartender. He was the eternal optimist, the ambassador of fun, the curator of the best local concerts, and the most genuine friend a guy could have."

In recent years, Edwards had struggled with alcohol and completed a six-month program with Salvation Army in Dallas, where he also worked in their retail store.

Brandi Beakley, a friend who'd known him since 1997, said she was heartbroken about his passing. "He got sober last year and was doing well," she says. "I'm so bummed we can't send him out right, with a party at Three Links or something."

His exact time of death was not known; according to a friend of the family, a coroner determined he died of natural causes.

His brother Daniel says that memorial services are being postponed.

"Thank you everyone for supporting our family in this very difficult time for us," Daniel says. "Due to COVID-19 safety concerns, our family has decided to postpone a ceremony for Tony and will be organizing a celebration of life sometime this summer. As soon as we determine a location and date, I will let everyone know. Thank you again for the outpouring of love and support you all have show to me and our family."

He's survived by his father David Edwards, stepmother Lucille Edwards, sisters Lisa Stith and DeAwna Wood, stepsisters Jennifer Marshall and Lisa Longchamps, and brother Daniel.

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pet protection

How to protect Texas pets against the dangerous New World screwworm fly

MPhoto by Tran Mau Tri Tam ✪ on Unsplash

Make sure these guys are up on their flea and tick meds.

Two New World screwworm cases in dogs are among more than 30 confirmed instances in Texas and New Mexico, prompting warnings Wednesday, July 8 from veterinarians and humane societies that pet owners need to remain vigilant to protect their animals.

The parasite reappeared in cattle in the U.S. in June, more than 50 years after it had been largely eradicated from the country. The pest is actually the larvae of the New World screwworm fly. It eats live flesh and fluids rather than dead material, as the larvae of most fly species do.

Here is what to know about the parasite, the threat it poses to pets and how to protect them:

Screwworm fly larvae can infest any mammal
The fly's migration north from Panama starting in 2024, and through Mexico in 2025, has agriculture officials warning that it poses a threat to the $113 billion U.S. cattle industry, but the larvae can hatch and breed in any mammal, including wildlife, dogs, cats and occasionally humans.

The problem develops when a female fly lays its eggs in open wounds and mucus. After the eggs hatch, the larvae feed for about a week before maturing, dropping to the ground and continuing to develop into an adult fly.

The American Veterinary Medical Association says newborn animals and animals with open wounds or who have undergone surgery or other medical procedures recently are especially vulnerable. Even a tick bite can host an infestation, Aaron Grady, executive director of the Houston Humane Society shelter, said during a webinar on the screwworm.

Screwworm fly close-up The goal is to stop these flies from successfully breeding. Photo courtesy of Texas A&M AgriLife

Infestation signs include restlessness and bad smell
Animal health experts say pet owners in areas where the screwworm is present — southern and southwestern Texas and southeastern New Mexico so far — should watch their animals closely and examine them for wounds, cuts and bites regularly.

Pet owners should look for any maggots or movement in a wound. Other signs include a foul smell and restlessness or anxiety in an animal, or an animal “hyper-fixating on looking or chewing in a certain area of the body," said Melissa Stansell, a veterinarian at the shelter Austin Pets Alive!

Any one of those is reason enough to go to a veterinarian. The affected animal is likely in a great deal of pain, and that can cause death from shock. The larvae also can cause death if they move into vital organs or by causing infections that turn deadly.

Flea, tick medications can stop an infestation
Humane society officials and veterinarians said shelters across Texas are trying to prevent infestations in animals by giving them prescription flea and tick medications. They recommend that pet owners do the same.

“It will kill the larvae as they ingest the blood and tissue,” Stansell said. “The chemical compositions of those products are what kill the actual larval stages of these flies.”

Veterinarians also can treat infestations and animals can recover if pet owners contact them quickly. Stansell said the treatment could include antibiotics.

“It is only fatal if left untreated,” she said.

An effort to eradicate the fly again is underway
The New World screwworm fly is a tropical species and decades ago would disappear each year when colder weather arrived with the fall or winter.

But state and U.S. Department of Agriculture officials aren't waiting for the weather to turn. They've returned to an eradication method that worked decades ago, breeding sterile male flies and releasing them into the wild. The female New World screwworm fly mates once in her monthslong life, and if her partner is sterile, her eggs won't hatch — causing the population in an area to drop and then disappear.

For years, the only factory breeding sterile flies in the Western Hemisphere was in Panama, but the USDA invested $21 million to convert a site in southern Mexico from breeding fruit flies to recently start breeding screwworm flies. The agency also plans to spend $750 million on a new fly factory in Texas, set to open next year.

screwworm fly pets