Deacon Lunchbox was the stage name of Atlanta performance artist and poet Timothy Tyson Ruttenber (1950 – April 19, 1992[1]).
Ruttenber, a construction worker by day, was popular in the Atlanta area for his flamboyant spoken-word performances.
[2] Deacon is credited with giving the Atlanta alternative country music scene its name - the Redneck Underground.
Ruttenber died in an auto accident, along with two members of the Atlanta group The Jody Grind (drummer, Rob Clayton, and their bassist, Robert Hayes).
The three were riding in a rented cargo van in Montgomery, Alabama, at the time of the accident, when a drunk driver crossed the I-65 median and struck them head-on.