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San Antonio – San Antonio’s nightlife and live music community mourns the loss of an influential figure on the St. Mary’s Strip. Blaine Tucker, 42, passed away on Friday morning, December 30. His cause of death is unknown.
Tucker was a dear friend and co-owner of The Mix, a live music venue and bar on the Strip. Friends were shocked when they heard the news of his death.
“I had a dream that I wanted to be honest with you. I thought it was a bad dream,” said friend and business owner Luis Muñoz. “I met Blaine a few days ago. He was at his party for our Christmas and we were joking about a concert he was having in San Antonio.”
Munoz, like many others, learned of Tucker’s death early Friday morning.
“He was a very loyal friend who always had your back,” Munoz said.
Muñoz said he met Tucker through a mutual friend nearly 15 years ago and bonded over a passion for live music.
“He loved the strip because it’s really about music. He was hosting a Maverick concert here in town and we became instant friends from day one,” Muñoz said. rice field. “His passion was music. He really wanted to get back into music and do something for San Antonio. We wanted to do something, and that’s what we were trying to do when this tragedy happened.”
Tucker purchased The Mix in 2015 with close friends Eric Handen and Steve Mahoney. They ran a popular nightspot for years, but he also had a great influence on his owners other businesses on the Strip.
Tucker was a lawyer and one of the driving forces behind the local “Stage Protection Act.”
He lobbied Texas Senator John Cornyn for funding, later resulting in $15 billion in federal funding for live music and entertainment venues across the country. It has been a lifeline for businesses struggling during the pandemic.
“One of the things we really appreciate about Blaine is his cooperation and friendship. It’s a mark,” said friend and former city councilor Roberto Trevino.
Tucker worked closely with Trevino to help struggling venues and bring other important issues to City Hall. Trevino said it was a big loss for the local business community.
“It didn’t just save a lot of businesses along the St. Mary’s Strip. It was really a city-wide effort,” says Trevino. “He understood the importance of connecting people and making sure they were engaged and informed. We worked hard to make sure everyone understood what we were doing.”
Munoz said he is speaking and staying in touch with other business owners, friends and people in the industry who are distraught over Tucker’s death.
“He’s just trying to leave a huge hole in the lives of many people, and also in the business side of some things that are happening in our city,” Muñoz said.
Copyright 2023 by KSAT – All rights reserved.
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