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These notable figures from Dallas passed away in 2021

Singer B.J. Thomas had numerous hits including his trademark "Hooked On A Feeling."

Photo by Loyd Ovecash

With 2021 coming to a close, it's time to look back at some of the dearly departed we lost in Dallas this year. This year's list includes many musicians, media personalities, and well known figures from the restaurant industry.

Here's the 2021 list of notable deaths, in chronological order:

Erik Swanson, musician and king of the Western Swing genre in Dallas, died on February 16. He was 57. 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.

James F. "Jim" Rogers, an advocate for the city of Dallas and candidate for the city council who contributed countless hours to local organizations, died on February 15, after battling cancer. He was 73.

Russ Martin, a Dallas radio personality for more than 30 years, was found dead at his home in Frisco on February 27; he was 60. He was a brash host with shows on KEGL 97.1 "The Eagle" and KLLI Live 105.3.

Barbara Sivils, a server at Mama's Daughter's Diner and colorful local legend, died on March 24. She was 84. She was a mini-celebrity with whom regulars posed for photographs, and such an icon that she was frequently mistaken for the "mama" in Mama's.

Jocelyn White, Dallas media personality and animal lover, died on April 18 after a short illness; she was 68. White had her own successful television show, Designing Texas, as well as a successful radio career that included working with Ron Chapman and Kidd Kraddick.

Joseph "Joe" Patrick Tillotson, a Dallas entrepreneur who helped open popular bars such as Barley House and Katy Trail Ice House, passed away on April 22, after battling cancer for several years; he was only 53.

Ron Chapman, a legendary Dallas radio personality, died on April 26; he was 85. He spent 31 years at KVIL-FM, as a morning disc jockey, music director, and program director. He became famous for his sense of humor and outrageous stunts and giveaways such as broadcasting live while skydiving from a plane.

B.J. Thomas, Grammy-winning singer with hits such as "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" and "Hooked on a Feeling," died on May 29 at his home in Arlington, after being diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer. He was 78.

Mark Lee, a concert promoter and key figure in Dallas' rock music scene, passed away on June 20; he was 74. Lee was co-owner of The Hot Klub, the famous 1980s punk rock club, and also co-founded 462 Inc., a concert promotion company that brought hundreds of major acts to Dallas venues such as Bronco Bowl and Trees.

Dusty Hill, bassist for legendary Texas rock band ZZ Top, Hill died in his sleep at his home in Houston on July 28; he was 72. He and his bandmates recorded nearly 20 albums with two top 10 singles, "Legs" and "Sleeping Bag." He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.

Harper Caron, who was president of the Dallas-based Uncle Julio's Tex-Mex chain, died on August 7 after being found in a downtown Dallas hotel; he was 45.

Nicole Barrett, talk show host, cigar mogul, and former Ms. Black Texas, died on August 10, after suffering an aneurysm; she was 46.

Dotty Griffith, Dallas food writer and journalist who worked for 36 years at The Dallas Morning News, died on September 13 after a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 71. She authored a dozen cookbooks, primarily with Texas themes such as The Texas Holiday Cookbook.

Michael Nesmith, guitarist, musician, and songwriter died on December 10 of heart failure at his California home; he was 78. Born in Dallas, Nesmith was a member of the '60s pop band the Monkees.

John Mueller, a Texas BBQ pitmaster who was a member of the legendary Mueller barbecue dynasty, died at his home in Frisco after a long illness; he was 52.

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A+ for Plano

Surprising Dallas suburb makes new list of best college towns in U.S.

Southern Methodist University students at a football game

Southern Methodist University/Facebook

Dallas knows how to show out.

Dallas' spirited neighbor Plano has entered the spotlight as the No. 16 best midsize college town in the U.S., while Dallas ranks among the best largest college towns, a new study by WalletHub has proclaimed.

While Plano might not be thought of as a "college town," it is home to primary campuses of Collin College (Spring Creek Campus and the Courtyard Center); Collin College has an annual enrollment of over 60,000 students. To qualify for the study, a city must have a university or college population of at least 7,500 students.

To determine the best college towns, WalletHub analyzed 415 cities based on their "wallet-friendliness," social environment, and academic and economic opportunities for college graduates. Cities are ranked overall and are sorted into one of three population categories: large, midsize, and small cities.

Several North Texas cities were represented across the three rankings by population, but none ranked higher than Plano. This Dallas suburb ranked as the 54th best college town in the nation overall, and ranks as the third-best college town in Texas.

Out of the three key dimensions, Plano ranked highest for its academic and economic opportunities – landing 25th nationally. This category analyzed Plano's quality of higher education, the earning potential for college graduates, unemployment rates, job growth rates, the share of part-time jobs and median income of part-time workers, and more.

In the remaining two categories for its "social environment" and "wallet friendliness," Plano respectively ranked 223rd and 271st nationwide. The social environment ranking compared the number of students per capita, the share of single people, crime rates, and the number of cafés, breweries, festivals, and shopping centers per capita, among others; the wallet-friendliness category examined local housing costs, student loan debt per person, the adjusted cost of living for young people, and other financial factors.

"As student living expenses can reach over $39,000 per year, it’s important to find the most bang for your buck," the report's author wrote. "Therefore, it’s best to live in a city with a reasonable cost of living, along with good academic and work opportunities. The ideal city should also provide a fun social environment to help students deal with the stress of college."

Dallas ranked as the 35th best large college town in the U.S., and it ranked 108th overall regardless of city size.

This is how the rest of North Texas fared in the report:

Denton – No. 77 overall, No. 23 among midsize cities
Fort Worth – No. 100 overall, No. 31 among large cities
McKinney – No. 110 overall, No. 31 among midsize cities
Richardson – No. 139 overall, No. 57 among small cities
Irving – No. 141 overall, No. 39 among midsize cities
Carrollton – No. 150 overall, No. 42 among midsize cities
Arlington – No. 189 overall, No. 53 among large cities
Grand Prairie – No. 230 overall, No. 71 among midsize cities
Garland – No. 265 overall, No. 83 among midsize cities
Mesquite – No. 317 overall, No. 111 among midsize cities

Other top college towns in Texas
Austin once again topped the list as the No. 1 best college town in America, boosted by the city's wealth of local colleges and universities and the local economy. The Capital City has outshone obvious contenders like Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Ann Arbor, Michigan, for five years in a row, and it also tops the large cities list.

According to the report's findings, Austin has the 15th best academic and economic opportunities for college students and graduates, and the 16th best social environment. WalletHub commends Austin for having one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation and the "34th-best annual job growth rate," while also offering students ample ways to "de-stress after class."

"On top of that, Austin ranks 22nd in the nation for the quality of higher education among more than 400 cities in our study," the report said. "It also has the 112th-cheapest in-state tuition (including room and board), at $34,651 per year."

Four other cities in the Lone Star State appeared on the overall list of America's best college towns: College Station (No. 37), San Antonio (No. 72), Houston (No. 73), and Lubbock (No. 83).

In the rankings by city size, San Antonio ranked as the No. 2 best large college town in Texas and 23rd in the U.S., with Houston right behind as the third-best statewide and 24th nationwide.

San Marcos, a college town between Austin and San Antonio, ranked as the No. 2 best small college town in Texas, and 54th best among the small colleges nationally. In the overall list regardless of city size, San Marcos ranked 132nd nationally.

The top 10 best college towns in America for 2027 are:

No. 1 – Austin
No. 2 – Ann Arbor, Michigan
No. 3 – Charlottesville, Virginia
No. 4 – Raleigh, North Carolina
No. 5 – Atlanta
No. 6 – Tampa, Florida
No. 7 – San Diego
No. 8 – Scottsdale, Arizona
No. 9 – Orlando
No. 10 – Charleston, South Carolina

college towns reports wallethub dallas plano