‘Friendly, kind and funny.’ Ex-owner of popular Columbus bar and magazine dies
David Carson, who published a local magazine and owned a Columbus bar for more than two decades, has died.
Carson peacefully died at home Saturday morning, the Soho Bar & Grill announced on its Facebook page. He was 63 and fought “a courageous war with leukemia,” according to his obituary.
From 1994-2014, Carson and his wife, Vickie, published Playgrounds Magazine, which promoted local art, music and theater.
During most of his ownership and management of Soho from 2002-24, Carson provided a venue for live music.
After graduating from Hardaway High School in 1979, Carson earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Capstone College. He worked at Hillcrest Hospital, the University of Alabama-Birmingham and the Bradford Center. He returned to Columbus in 1992 and worked at The Medical Center.
Soho’s Facebook page shows more than 100 comments from people reacting to Carson’s death. Among them:
- “He was so friendly, kind and funny,” wrote Cherry O’Cherry.
- “He was a sweetheart and very personable,” wrote Roberta Nicholson-Murphy.
- “The place he and (Vickie) created gave me some of the best times of my life and helped me get through some of the worst,” wrote Frank Donaldson. “I will be forever grateful.”
Funeral arrangements weren’t available before publication. A celebration of Carson’s life is being planned “for around July 12th,” Soho announced on its Facebook page. “We will post details as it comes together.”
