Local attorney and business owner Blayne Tucker was a shrewd behind-the-scenes advocate for San Antonio’s music scene. Credit: Courtesy Photo / Blayne Tucker Family

The mother of late San Antonio live-music advocate and venue owner Blayne Tucker has sued a local nightclub and two individuals, alleging their negligence led to his 2022 death from fentanyl-laced cocaine.

Camille Gray — Tucker’s mother and estate administrator — is seeking $250,000 or more in damages for mental anguish, loss of parental consortium and pain and suffering felt by her son, according to a petition filed last month in Bexar County District Court. The suit names 502 Bar along with Deric Wynne — a partner in the North Side nightclub — and Katherine S. Kohler as defendants. Neither Wynne, Kohler nor attorney Glenn Deadman, whom the suit lists as 502’s registered agent, were available for comment Monday.

However, in an email to the Express-News, which first reported on the suit, Deadman said he’d withhold comment until he learned more. “The incident was investigated by SAPD, and they found no wrongdoing,” said Deadman, who wasn’t named as a defendant in Gray’s petition.

The death of Tucker, 43, the owner of longtime St. Mary’s Strip venue The Mix and a partner in legendary country music hotspot John T. Floore’s Country Store, sent shockwaves through San Antonio’s music community.

Although trained as an attorney, Tucker turned his love of music into a profession by touring the world as blues guitarist Gary Clark Jr.’s road manager. During the pandemic Tucker became a key advocate for the Save Our Stages Act, which Congress passed to help music venues weather months of inactivity.

In her suit, Gray alleges that Tucker met with longtime friend Deric Wynne on the night of Dec. 29, 2022, at 502 Bar, where Wynne provided cocaine to Tucker. The cocaine found in Tucker’s system was laced with the deadly narcotic fentanyl, Gray’s filing claims, citing a toxicology report from the county medical examiner.

The pair departed 502 bar around 1:30 a.m. for a home Wynne co-owned with Kohler, who was there at the time, the suit maintains. Tucker later collapsed in the kitchen.

“Based on information and belief, neither Wynne nor Kohler administered life saving measures and critical time passed before EMS was even alerted to Tucker’s condition,” the petition alleges.

Gray’s suit accuses Wynne and Kohler of failing to provide information to EMS personnel about the cocaine Tucker allegedly took while at the club. Further, the legal filing argues that Wynne and Kohler mislead emergency personnel about their friend’s condition by making false statements.

Although EMS administered the overdose-reversal drug Narcan, “it was too late,” the petition alleges.

The suit alleges Wynne and Kohler bear responsibility for the death because they waited before calling 911 and didn’t shoot straight with EMS. Gray’s petition also accuses 502 Bar of failing to “properly hire, train, supervise and retrain its employees” on the dangers of illicit drugs.

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This article appears in Nov 27 – Dec 10, 2024.

Sanford Nowlin is editor-in-chief of the San Antonio Current. He holds degrees from Trinity University and the University of Texas at San Antonio, and his work has been featured in Salon, Alternet, Creative...