Atlanta club owner remembers one of DMX’s final performances

ATLANTA — Fifty-year-old Earl “DMX” Simmons died Friday just a week after suffering what his attorney called a “heart attack” at his New York home.

He’d been in the hospital for several days in serious condition when his family released a statement about his death early Friday afternoon.

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The actor/rapper had struggled over the past few years according to reports with addiction and other health-related issues and had not been performing much.

Channel 2 Action News spoke Friday night with Tory Thomas who owns the Suite Food Town in downtown Atlanta.

DMX came up to the stage for a couple of songs during March’s NBA All-Star weekend in what may very well have been his final performance.

“He came through on a Saturday night. Crowd went crazy. X did like two or three songs. Probably like three or four songs, actually. It was just a night to remember,” said Thomas.

The club owner said the excitement was electric that special night.

“It’s one of those things where I didn’t even have to ask X to grab the mic. If you just put a mic in his hand, he just did his thing. You just put a couple songs on, X was going to go, he probably sounded like he did 20 years ago,” Thomas said.

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Just a few weeks before, Thomas said DMX performed at his other club, “Revel” in northwest Atlanta. He says he’ll never forget one of his musical idols.

“He was just one the realest, genuine individuals you could possibly meet. It’s sad that we lost him today. X rhymed from the heart. He rhymed from the heart,” Thomas said.

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Atlanta musicians, friends remember legendary rapper DMX The rapper, whose real name is Earl Simmons, died after having a heart attack earlier this month.