People behind "David Bowie Street" sign come forward

The mystery is over. One of the men responsible for the changing of the Jim Bowie sign helped found South by Southwest. Roland Swenson takes responsibility.

He says he decided to come forward because he didn't want the city to use its resources in searching for the person who changed the sign.

“After I learned about his passing on Monday, I was looking out the window at the Bowie Street sign and I said to myself that needs to say David Bowie Street,” Swenson said.

It’s a tribute to the late rock and roll star, David Bowie. That's all Roland Swenson was hoping to achieve. He claims responsibility for changing the Jim Bowie street to David Bowie street. He believes it was a well-deserved move for the icon.

“He was really important to kids who maybe didn't fit in at school so well. He was different and he was for them,” Swanson said.

Swenson is the co-founder of South by Southwest wasn't alone. He says he got help from a friend at "Wicked Signs."

“I got a kick out of it, I thought it would be a lot of fun,” Jason Carter with “Wicked Signs,” said.

Their attorney says it was time to come forward before the city thought of filing charges.

“There was a thought that there may be some criminal mischief charges or some theft charges, and in all seriousness they didn't want the city spending any resources on that,” Perry Minton said.

Minton says the guys should not get in much trouble, because technically they didn't vandalize the sign.

“They didn't take the sign down. There are those who think the sign was taken down or somehow vandalized,” Minton said.

Instead, Carter placed a decal of the "David Bowie" on top of the Bowie sign. The city said it will come down before January 19.

A petition on change.org to leave the sign up is gaining a lot of traction with already more than 3,000 signatures.

The men are hopeful the city understands that the move was done all in the name of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

“It was something that was intended to be a tribute and not something with any ill intent whatsoever,” Minton said.