Remembering DJ Frantic

"We agreed that our venture wasn't about the money or the fame," Abbott wrote. "It was simply about making good music and having fun. We wanted to give more than receive. We were already rich in the things that mattered most to us. We wanted to stay humble and not let anything interfere with our deep love for our music and our deep admiration and respect for each other. We loved doing shows much more than making money from the shows. We kept this pact."

DJ Frantic's death will leave a big gap in the DFW hip-hop community, says producer/rapper Richard "Picnic" Escobedo. Picnic's hip-hop group, PPT, had performed with Erck's Clever Monkeys on a few occasions.

"He was the first guy that I ever really met...that was the true definition of what a disc jockey is," Picnic says. "I don't know anybody that went as far with it as him. That's some really rare shit. I don't know anybody that was doing anything like him. I don't know if anybody understands how big of a loss this is. "

A Frantic Life

The Life and Times of DJ Frantic

May 1, 1976: Fran Lee Erck is born in Irving.

1999: His friend, Pat "Phat-1" Johnson suggests he learn to DJ after Erck complains that he's bored with his videogames.

2000: Erck buys a secondhand set of turntables. He practices and performs at a few house parties, usually waiting until most of the guests have left before taking his turn.

May 10, 2002: DJ Frantic has his first club gig at the Sand Bar in Dallas. Though it was supposed to be a shared set with Phat-1, he reluctantly performs alone after his partner breaks a leg.

Summer 2004: DJ Frantic wins the Texas DMC DJ competition, earning a trip to Los Angeles to compete in the next round. He and rapper/DJ Jason "Big J" Abbott form Clever Monkeys.

August 2006: Erck earns a recording arts diploma from the Dallas Sound Lab at MediaTech Institute.

June 3, 2007: Erck marries Stacy Whitaker.

February 2, 2008: At 31 years old, Erck dies in a car accident. He is survived by his wife; his father, Les Erck; his mother, B.J. Karnath, and her husband, Steve; and his sister, April Prince, and her husband, Rob.