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A fire near Casa View in East Dallas took the life of Barbara Cope, 67, on Sunday.
According to WFAA, neighbor Vanessa Flores called police when she saw the burning home in the 10200 block of Newcombe Ave. Her father, Eduardo, rushed into the house without shoes and saved Cope’s mother, who also lived there. When he returned for Cope, the fire was too dangerous for him to find the homeowner. Dallas Fire and Rescue found her dead near the porch.
Flores and the family ran errands for Cope and her mother. “We were close. We would do anything for them,” Flores told WFAA. “She felt like family.”
Cope, a Bryan Adams graduate, was deemed a “groupie high priestess” by the LA Times in the 1970s for her exploits while going on the road with Jimi Hendrix and Joe Cocker. The Rolling Stones call her “Butter Queen,” a term for a devoted fan, in their song “Rip This Joint.” She also was featured in the documentary “Mad Dogs and Englishmen” about Joe Cocker’s 1970 US tour.
The Dallas Fire Department is still investigating the cause of the blaze. Cope’s mother is recovering at the hospital.
