Former The Devil Wears Prada drummer Daniel Williams and Sound Talent Group (STG) co-founder Dave Shapiro were among several individuals killed in a tragic plane crash in San Diego, CA, early Thursday (22) morning. The private Cessna 550 aircraft went down around 4 a.m. in the Tierrasanta neighborhood, striking multiple homes and vehicles. According to officials, the crash left no survivors. No deaths were reported among individuals on the ground.
Williams, 39, who left The Devil Wears Prada in 2016 and later became a software engineer, had posted videos of himself on the plane prior to the crash. Known for his drumming in TDWP’s early years, he had also survived the 2019 Dayton, OH mass shooting.
The Devil Wears Prada issued the below tribute:
” no words. We owe you everything. Love you forever.”
Dave Shapiro,co-founder of Sound Talent Group, represented major acts such as Sum 41, Parkway Drive, Pierce The Veil, and Lamb of God. A lifelong supporter of underground and independent music, Shapiro also ran Velocity Records and was a licensed pilot through his company, Velocity Aviation. A spokesperson for Shapiro’s agency told Billboard:
“We are devastated by the loss of our co-founder, colleagues and friends. Our hearts go out to their families and to everyone impacted by today’s tragedy. Thank you so much for respecting their privacy at this time.”
Drug Church canceled this week’s tour dates in Shapiro’s memory. They will still perform at Memorial Day Meltdown in Baltimore on Monday (26th) with guest vocalist Jeremy Bolm of Touché Amoré.
The group expressed:
“Our longtime friend and booking agent Dave Shapiro passed away early this morning when his plane crashed in San Diego. We’re sorry to announce that we are cancelling the rest of our shows with @liquidmikeband. Apologies to everyone in Indianapolis, Grand Rapids and Covington who were planning on coming to see us this weekend More importantly our hearts go out to the friends and families of everyone who lost their lives in this tragedy.
We are still going to be performing on Monday at the Memorial Day Fest in Baltimore with our good friend @jeremyxbolm on vocals.
Rest in Peace Dave, we owe you everything ❤️”
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