A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to support the family of Dave Cohen, the guitar tech for Animals As Leaders and a respected luthier known for his work with Equilibrium Guitars, who tragically passed away on July 16th while attending a Counterparts show in Billings, MT. At the time of his passing, Cohen was serving as a guitar tech for Animals As Leaders and had decided to enjoy the show during his off day.
Stryper vocalist Michael Sweet organized the campaign. All proceeds from the fundraiser will go to Cohen’s widow, Mariann, to help during this difficult time. Within two days since the launch of the GoFundMe page, the donations have nearly doubled the initial goal of $30,000.
Sweet shared the following on the campaign:
“On Sunday, July 16th, our dear friend and brother, Dave Cohen, suddenly passed away. He was only 36 years old. Both Dave and his wife, Mariann, joined the Stryper camp in early 2023, with Dave as our guitar tech and Mariann as dual guitar and monitor tech. Most recently, Dave was working on the Dreamsonic tour, while Mariann joined us for a brief, but immensely challenging bus run throughout the Southeast. Tragically, while attending a show on his day off in Billings, MT, Dave passed away. We were performing in Bristol, VA at the time, and Mariann was informed of the news shortly after our show. As you can imagine, we were in utter shock and disbelief.
Dave was a truly amazing person. Humble, yet gifted beyond measure. He was a remarkable luthier, as demonstrated by his company “Equilibrium Guitars,” founded in 2011. He was an accomplished player and an incredible guitar and amp tech. He loved music, and put every ounce of his God-given talent back into it. As far as human beings go, he was remarkable; a gentle giant with a contagious spirit of love, grace, and humility, adored by all who had the pleasure of knowing him. And he certainly met his match in his beloved wife, Mariann, who shares so many of his wonderful qualities.
We are devastated by the loss of Dave and, more than anything, wish to support his beloved wife as she navigates through this unthinkably dark and difficult time. Mariann will be facing many financial burdens in the coming months, from medical bills to funeral/memorial planning, plus general cost-of-living expenses that are sure to accrue. We will not let her face these challenges alone, and we humbly invite you to join us in carrying this weight with her. We are asking you, our fans, friends, family, and beyond…all who knew Dave or were touched by Dave…let us gather around Mariann and help meet her needs. If you can give anything, it will be a tremendous blessing and an amazing gift. If you cannot, we simply ask that you share this fund with as many people as possible, and maybe take a moment to share some words of support. We thank you for your love, thoughts and prayers, and of course, for your generosity.
May God bless you all, Michael”
