Entertainment

Dave & Buster’s Co-Founder James Corley Dead In Apparent Suicide On His Birthday, Company Says

JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images

Leena Nasir Entertainment Reporter
Font Size:

James “Buster” Corley, co-founder of the “eatertainment” company Dave & Buster’s, died on his birthday Monday at the age of 72, according to a statement from the company cited by multiple reports.

The Dallas Police Department said he was found at his home near White Rock Lake with an “apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound,” according to WFAA. They rushed him to the hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased, The Dallas Morning News reported.

“Buster Corley had a stroke four months ago that caused severe damage to the communication and personality part of his brain,” Corley’s daughter Kate Corley said in a statement to WFAA. “The family asks for privacy during this time.”

A Dave & Buster’s representative fondly remembered Corley as an “innovative and creative force,” in a separate statement to the outlet.

“His pioneering spirit and steadfast belief that ‘everybody is somebody’ set the foundation for bringing food and games to millions of Dave & Buster’s guests over the past 40 years,” a company spokesperson said.

The spokesperson went on to highlight the characteristics that set Corley apart from the rest, according to WFAA. “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,” the spokesperson told the outlet. (RELATED:  Three 6 Mafia Rapper Gangsta Boo Found Dead At 43, Overdose Suspected)

Corley owned a restaurant in Little Rock, Arkansas, in the late 1970s, while a man named David Corriveau had a neighboring entertainment and games company. The men realized their customers would attend both locations, often rotating between the two, which ultimately led to the establishment of Dave & Buster’s.

Corley and Corriveau opened the first Dave & Buster’s location in Dallas in 1982 and continued to grow their business. There are currently 151 Dave & Buster’s locations across the U.S. and Canada.

Corriveau died in 2015 at 63 years old.