While it might seem like this would be the easiest con to pull off for Delta, since there were no real Archies at all, that was not the case. Unlike the disbanded rock bands and their labels, Kirshner Productions was a well-oiled machine ready to take down any dubious claims to the music of its properties. “We’ve heard about this group and our lawyers are taking action,” Kirshner, who died in 2011, told Rolling Stone.

Kirshner’s words in the magazine must have given Bill Kehoe cause for concern. Just two weeks after the article ran, a headline appeared in the Bay City Times: "Band Promoter Quits, Blasts DJs, Mafia." The article was Kehoe’s attempt to get out in front of the controversy. He expressed disgust and exhaustion with the music business, without mentioning the lawsuits (and baseball bats) encroaching on the Delta operation. “We never represented to anyone that these were the same groups who made the records," Kehoe claimed. This is in direct opposition to statements from disc jockeys and promoters in the Rolling Stone story who say Delta provided phony affidavits claiming the bands featured original members. One DJ says such documents were promised by Delta but never delivered.

Later in the Bay City Times article, Kehoe turned his ire to the bands themselves. “In two years I lost $20,000 in the business. One of the groups wrecked a bus we bought for them and some didn’t pay us back money we advanced them,” he said, adding that his pet peeve is “groups who cheat us every chance they can.”

When I mention Kehoe’s claim, Ramsey responds, “I was making $200 a week and it wasn’t like we’d play a night and then get a few days off. They had us playing shows every single night." After closing up shop, Kehoe poured his time into his legitimate business dealings, including his music venue Band Canyon and, later, an engineering company. His obituary does not mention his time working in the music business. “It just didn’t work out,” he said. “When all you do is lose money…there’s not much to do but quit. But regardless of what others would have you think, at least I can quit knowing I stayed honest.”

With Delta Promotions dissolved under pressure from outside, the bands on the Delta roster headed back home. The Texas Zombies returned to Dallas where they ditched their Zombies past and returned to their normal lives. Seab Meador was in the Werewolves, who made two albums for RCA records; he died of a brain tumor on January 24, 1980. Mark Ramsey decided to go to college, studying to become a teacher, but kept his chops up in case Seab, Dusty, or Frank ever needed a guitarist. When Meador died, Ramsey gave up on the rock 'n' roll dream. “It just changed for me. He was sweet and kind. I just kinda stopped wanting that life."