Editor's note
Fayetteville businessman Bruce Walker was 57 at the time of his death. His age was incorrect in an earlier version of this story.
FAYETTEVILLE — Bruce Walker, 57, an iconic business owner known for his leather creations and laid-back presence on Dickson Street for 35 years, died Monday after he was pulled from his burning store.
Heavy smoke billowed out the windows and doors at Flying Possum Leather as Fayetteville firefighters fought the blaze at 6:39 a.m. The store is at 526 W. Dickson St., a couple of blocks east of the University of Arkansas campus.
"He had a lot of friends and he was involved in music in Fayetteville," said his brother, Wallace Walker, 71, of Fort Worth. "Bikes Blues & BBQ was one of his favorite things. He was a good guy."
Bruce Walker, a former U.S. Forest Service tour guide at Blanchard Springs Caverns who opened his business in Fayetteville in 1976, earned a reputation for his leather work. He earned a patent for his custom leather guitar straps used by famous and not-so-famous musicians, and an untold number of area residents walk around in the Birkenstock sandals he introduced to the area in the 1970s.
After Monday's blaze, a single guitar hung unevenly on one of Walker's straps just inside what had been a shop window until firefighters knocked it out. Under the guitar, some of the shop's Birkenstock shoes were covered in glass.
Paramedics performed CPR as they rolled Walker away on a gurney around 7 a.m. to Washington Regional Medical Center. He was pronounced dead at 8:15 a.m., Washington County Coroner Roger Morris said.
Fire crews put out the fire in about 20 minutes but remained on scene for about an hour, said Mauro Campos, a battalion chief with the fire department. Investigators stayed at the store and had a portion of Dickson Street's sidewalk blocked for much of the day.
Dozens of flowers and other memorials were left in front of Walker's store Monday.
The blaze originated at the rear of Walker's store and crews had to shatter the store's front windows and cut a hole in the roof to let the smoke out of the shop. Campos said investigators have ruled out arson, but did not know the cause Monday.
Walker's body was sent to the State Crime Lab for an autopsy to determine exactly what caused his death.
Walker's almost constant companion, a dog named Bugsy, survived the fire and was temporarily taken to the Fayetteville Animal Shelter early Monday.
Across the street from the Flying Possum, Brian Crowne, owner of George's Majestic Lounge, remembered Walker as a "cool old hippie." He met Walker in the late 1980s.
"He liked to meet all the big bands that played here and talk about his guitar strap that he invented," Crowne said. "Literally, if you look at my schedule for the last year or two and you'd see a major artist, Bruce probably said hi to them and showed them his stuff."
Walker patented his leather guitar strap, which cradles a guitar without attaching to the instrument's neck, in 2002. He began numbering each strap he made. Strap No. 1 was given to Neil Young, followed by Willie Nelson, Jed Clampit and Allan Thomas, according to Walker's Myspace page.
War Eagle resident Jim Aclin grew up with Walker in Searcy. He drove with his wife, Barbara, from War Eagle straight to the hospital before calling Walker's brother, Robert Walker in California.
"Probably half the people on Dickson Street had his Birkenstock custom sandals," Aclin said. "He did a lot of work for people that had chronic foot problems. A lot of podiatrists would send their patients here and he would make special shoes for them."
For 15 years, Sudee Hall, who works at the Dickson Street Bookshop, has bought every pair of Birkenstocks she owns from Walker. She said he was always very friendly, funny and laid-back.
"It's pretty much all I wear. He pretty much ruined me cause I can't wear any other types of shoes," Hall said laughing, "but it's good and good for ya."
Wallace Walker said he will arrive in Fayetteville today to begin planning his brother's funeral. Bruce Walker is survived by his two brothers.
Dickson Street businesses plan to hold memorial events on Sunday. George's Majestic Lounge will hold a memorial event from 1 to 8 p.m. Jose's Restaurant and Cantina will hold an event from 6 to 11 p.m.
"He laughed about himself just as much as he would about everyone else," Aclin said. "He cared about his friends. When my brother died a few years ago, Bruce was there for me. He was very passionate about his work. His life was leather work."
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