Close friends and collaborators have reported that influential folk singer Linda Perhacs may be missing. No one has been able to contact the 82-year-old musician in roughly eight months, according to a joint post from those close to her.
The call for help was posted on Instagram by several people who have worked closely with Perhacs for years. Her former manager, Laurel Stearns, put out several statements. Collaborators Julia Holter and Mark “Frosty” McNeill, and video director Jessica Hundley joined the call for assistance in finding Perhacs.
“Linda Perhacs, our dear friend and legendary singer-songwriter was discharged from a residential care facility approximately eight months ago under the supervision of her legal guardian,” the post began.
“Since then, friends and longtime collaborators have been unable to reach her and repeated attempts to contact her guardian have reportedly gone unanswered. Please help us locate Linda to ensure her wellbeing,” the post continued.
The caption concluded with a request for verified information on Perhacs’ whereabouts. It also included Laurel Stearns’ email address ([email protected]). Stearns filed an initial missing persons report with the Los Angeles Police Department on June 6.
Friends Hope for Confirmation That Influential Folk Musician Linda Perhacs Is ‘Safe and Comfortable’
Fans and fellow musicians flooded the comments, expressing hope that Linda Perhacs would be found safe. Laurel Stearns also shared an official statement, per Entertainment Weekly. Stearns said that “concern is growing among friends, collaborators, and members of the music community” regarding Perhacs’ well-being.
After Perhacs left the Los Angeles-based care facility, “numerous friends and longtime collaborators report they have been unable to establish direct contact with her,” the statement continued. Additionally, attempts to reach her guardian have also gone unanswered.
Stearns clarified that “those issuing this statement are not alleging wrongdoing. Rather, they are seeking confirmation that Linda is safe, well, and receiving appropriate care, while expressing concern over the prolonged absence of communication with a beloved public figure.”
Additionally, Stearns added, “The most important thing is that she’s safe and comfortable.”
Perhacs released one album, Parallelograms, in 1970. When it failed to gain traction in the folk world, she returned to her career as a dental hygienist. She didn’t get back into music professionally until the 2000s, when Parallelograms was reissued in an expanded edition. In 2014 she made another album, The Soul of All Natural Things, which hit No. 21 on the U.S. Folk charts.
Her early work in psych-folk made her a cohort of Vashti Bunyan, Buffy Sainte-Marie, and many other women in the genre. Perhacs has also been sampled extensively by artists like Jadakiss and Lowkey. Additionally, Daft Punk featured her track “If You Were My Man” on the Daft Punk’s Electroma soundtrack.
Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images
The post 82-Year-Old Folk Music Pioneer Reported Missing, Friends and Collaborators Reach out for Help appeared first on VICE.
