Remembering Big E: The Heart of Lubbock’s Depot District

It’s hard to write about someone who never asked for attention—because how do you properly honor a man who never demanded it, but absolutely deserved it?

Big E was a fixture in Lubbock. Like a telephone pole on the corner—you just expected him to be there. Solid. Familiar. Indestructible. I never thought to take many pictures or jot down memories because, honestly, he felt like someone who would always be around. Big, strong, and bulletproof—like a statue carved out of Texas steel.

What made Big E so magnetic is hard to put into words. My brother felt it too. Every time he flew in from Hawaii, he’d go see Big E before swinging by my house. And like clockwork, Big E would send a couple of his legendary wraps home with him—his own version of a Hawaiian Express delivery.

Some of my best memories at the Lone Star Amphitheater start with walking up the hill, catching the scent of barbecue smoke, and being greeted by a smile—and if I was lucky, a hug—from Ferlis. His presence was part of the show, the backstage pass you didn’t know you needed. That smoky aroma? It wasn’t just barbecue—it was Big E’s signature.

Late nights in the Depot District always led to Big E’s. There was just something right about capping off a night of music and mayhem with a cold drink and a hot sausage wrap from the man himself.

And no, I don’t have a long list of biographical facts to share with you. What I do have is something bigger: the way Big E made people feel. Whether you were a lifelong friend or just someone wandering past his grill, he treated you like you mattered. He called me “Wesman,” probably because the whole Wes/Nessman thing confused him—but that was just part of his charm.

Big E—Ferlis Ellis—was part of the glue that held the Depot District, and honestly, Lubbock itself, together. His presence was powerful. His food was unforgettable. And his kindness was constant.

We lost someone extraordinary.

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Special thanks to Don Toothaker and Melinda Green-Harvey for recognizing that fact, and to Don for capturing Big E’s spirit in a series of portraits taken on August 3, 2024.