The Cowboy and The Demon Slayer's Logo

Daryl McKinney was also known in Wichita Kansas and at other places as Cowboy. 

Daryl walked like a cowboy,  talked like a cowboy, in fact he was a cowboy. When looking at the photo to the side he is the fellow in the white shirt and ball cap on, and as you can tell, he had a pinch of dip or chew in his lip as was typical.  

Daryl had fallen on some tough times as a result of some things he had done and had to serve jail time for. Upon release he was homeless but became active in a program I ran at the time. He and the other guys in the photo, although they were homeless, helped run the Mosaic Homeless Outreach program for the homeless, open 24/7 365 and providing shelter and services to the homeless. Daryl did many things but he was mainly our I.T. guy operating our computer systems, video and security systems. He loved doing it and was good at it.

Daryl fell in love and ended up moving away to the areas of Montana and Wyoming, a great place for a Cowboy. We still kept in touch and he always called me Pastor Mike.

As the band started to develop Daryl kept in touch and he was one of those responding to a request to create a logo for us.  There were 5 or so submissions but we really did like the logo Daryl did best.  There were a few corrections regarding font and a couple of other things, but it got worked out.  

During the time, it was clear that Daryl was going through some issues as he and his wife were having issues and had separated. I would talk to him on the phone and on line on a regular basis.  Being trained in psychiatric care and mental health I could tell something was off. I promised him to keep in touch with me which he did. I offered to go to where he was living and gave the option that he could come back to Wichita and move in with us as long as he needed it. He felt there was too much garbage in Wichita and assured me that he was going to be okay and I didn't need to visit. I could tell from his Facebook page, (still up btw) that he was having a rough time.  I even called to have a wellness check done once.  

During this period Daryl seemed excited to have had his logo chosen for us to use. I paid him for his services and he emailed me ownership rights to the logo which is trademarked and copyrighted.

Eventually a few weeks went by and I didn't hear from Daryl, I sent messages via personal messages, tried calling and left messages until I got a no longer in service message. I was concerned, after about a month and a half of this, being concerned, I got a message from his ex wife notifying me that Darryl had committed suicide.  I still grieve from that news.  He's not the first in my life to commit this violent act, nor do I suspect he will be the last. I hate that, but that is one reason for this page on our band web site.

There was a time which I document in my book The Keystone Kid available on the web site here in our store that I struggled and attempted suicide. I have several friends who have done so including Daryl. It is one reason that while we have fun as a band that I am honored that people tell us after our shows that we are also a band with something important to say through our music and our message.  

I want to beg, plead, and ask, that if you are having suicidal thoughts to first of all contact a mental health professional, the pain of your act if committing suicide will carry on and give others pain long after you are gone.

If you feel you must, or you need a friend, I encourage you to contact me Pastor Mike or Mike Furches, You can contact me through the contact information on the webpage or hunt me down on Facebook.  I will try to offer advice, but also know, that I am a mandated reporter  and a musician.  I am obligated to hold our discussions in confidence unless a threat to self or others.

If all of this is something you think you can't do, you can talk to a stranger at The National Suicide Prevention Hotline by calling their toll free number at:   

1-800-273-8255 

Just know that Pastor Mike and the Demon Slayer Blues Band cares.  We will always have the reminder of the pain of suicide as a result of our logo being done by a dear friend who gave up way to early on life.