Music agent Dave Shapiro and ex-Devil Wears Prada drummer believed killed in California plane crash

The Devil Wears Prada drummer had posted photos of inside the plane hours before the fatal crash

👉 Click Here to read in detail 👈

Tributes were pouring in across social media Thursday for music agent Dave Shapiro and drummer Daniel Williams, who were both believed to be involved in the deadly plane crash in a Murphy Canyon neighborhood.

Shapiro was the owner of an Alaska-based company that operated the Cessna Citation II that crashed in a military housing complex, according to Federal Aviation Administration records. Authorities have yet to confirm Shapiro and Williams are deceased or who was piloting the Cessna. The FAA said six people were onboard.

Shapiro’s agency, Sound Talent Group, issued a statement confirming Shapiro had been killed. Williams, the former drummer for Ohio metal band The Devil Wears Prada, posted several Instagram stories in the hours before the crash showing the Cessna and him in the co-pilot seat next to Shapiro, along with the same flight numbers seen on the plane that crashed. His former band shared several photos of him on Facebook and wrote, “No words. We owe you everything. Love you forever.”

Daniel Williams of The Devil Wears Prada performs during the Rock On The Range festival at Columbus Crew Stadium on May 16, 2015, in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP) 

Both men had homes in San Diego County.

Hours before Shapiro’s record label confirmed his death, social media was already flooded with tributes from people across the music industry who learned through phone calls from musicians and talent professionals that it was Shapiro, a music agent for nearly two decades and a pilot. News of the possible involvement of Williams, who left The Devil Wears Prada in 2016, took much longer, as many were surprised to find out hours later he was also apparently on the plane.

Nate Blasdell, the former guitarist of Florida band I Set My Friends on Fire, said he had received calls about the tragedy from several agents who confirmed it was Shapiro. Blasdell now works as an agent himself.

Blasdell said Shapiro was the first booking agent he ever worked with as a musician and credited him with helping get his post-hardcore band get off the ground.

“He was truly the best in the game and one of the most respected people in the industry,” Blasdell told the Union-Tribune. “I was blessed to have had the chance to work with and get to know someone so iconic.”

Sound Talent Group told The Associated Press that two employees, in addition to Shapiro, were killed in the crash, but it was unclear if Williams was considered an employee or who the other victims were.

The Devil Wears Prada fan groups were posting tributes to Williams, who was one of the founding members of the Dayton, Ohio, band. It was formed in 2005, named after the novel “The Devil Wears Prada,” and predated the 2006 movie.

Shapiro and Williams were at the Welcome to Rockville festival last week in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Shapiro’s LinkedIn profile said he was certified as an airline transport pilot and owner of small record label Velocity Records. Shapiro worked for years as a music agent at large Los Angeles firms United Talent Agency and The Agency Group, before co-founding his own San Diego-based agency in 2018, Sound Talent Media.

Williams became a software engineer after leaving the music industry, working at GoPro in San Diego for the last seven years, his LinkedIn profile said. In addition to being a well-known drummer and software developer, he made news in 2019 when he survived a mass shooting in Dayton at the Ned Peppers bar that killed nine people and wounded 17 others.

Ohio musician and songwriter Alex Asch wrote in a Facebook post that he couldn’t believe the news.

“I want to thank Dave Shapiro for everything you ever did for me and my friends,” he wrote. “The kindness that you showed me is unmatched, and I will be forever grateful for the opportunities and experiences.”

The Union-Tribune interviewed Shapiro in the early days of the pandemic about artists not being paid because they couldn’t perform.

“At some point, you have to realize: ‘I can’t change this,’” he said. “This is the new reality. So, instead of focusing on the negatives, let’s focus on how we get through this, how we get our artists back on the road, and how we get creative with new revenue streams.”

Originally Published: May 23, 2025 at 5:39 AM PDT

👉 Click Here to read in detail 👈

Miatamil

Listed here the latest Trending News