Dave & Buster’s co-founder James “Buster” Corley has died. Corley was pronounced dead at the hospital shortly after he was found suffering from what Dallas police described as an “apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound” at his home near White Rock Lake on Monday, his 72nd birthday. His death was confirmed by his daughter, Kate Corley, who told WFAA-TV that her father “had a stroke four months ago that caused severe damage to the communication and personality part of his brain.” His death follows the 2015 death of fellow Dave & Buster’s co-founder David Corriveau.
Although Kate did not provide further information and asked “for privacy during this time,” online police records showed that the Dallas Police Department responded to a call just before 7 p.m. local time Monday, according to The Dallas Morning News. Police confirmed, per WFAA-TV, that when they arrived at the scene, they found the 72-year-old suffering from an “apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.” Corley was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead later that day, according to the Dallas County medical examiner’s office. The medical examiner’s office added that Corley’s death is still under investigation. As of Tuesday evening, Corley’s cause of death was not available.
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Corley was a longtime businessman, who in the 1970s opened a restaurant in Little Rock, Arkansas just a few doors down from Corriveau’s place for entertainment and games. As the two began their businesses, they soon noticed that customers rotated between their establishments, prompting them to join forces to create an all-new restaurant experience, according to Dave & Buster’s website. After finding an empty, 40,000-square-foot warehouse in Dallas located along “Restaurant Row,” the duo opened the first Dave & Buster’s in 1982, deciding on the name, rather than Buster & Dave’s, after Corriveau won a coin toss. The restaurant chain has gone on to open more than 140 locations across the country.
Remembering Corley in a statement, Dave & Buster’s celebrated Corley for his “pioneering spirit and steadfast belief that ‘everybody is somebody,’” which they said “set the foundation for bringing food and games to millions of Dave & Buster’s guests over the past 40 years. Buster’s passion for hospitality, his demand for excellence, and the deep care he had for his team members were unparalleled. Our hearts go out to his family at this difficult time and while we will miss his wise counsel and his easy laugh, the legacy he and Dave built endures.”
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