The Devil Wears Prada Ex-Drummer Daniel Williams Killed in San Diego Plane Crash
Daniel Williams, former drummer for Ohio metalcore band The Devil Wears Prada, died Thursday morning (May 22) in a San Diego plane crash that also killed music agent Dave Shapiro from Sound Talent Group.
The two men were among six total who died after the plane clipped a power line in a San Diego suburb, according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration, sparking intense flames that scorched several homes, destroyed dozens of vehicles and forced the evacuation of more than 100 people.
While no one on the ground was killed in the crash, all six individuals aboard the flight died. Three of those dead, including Shapiro, worked for Sound Talent Group, a company official confirmed.
The flight was reportedly piloted by Shapiro, a popular music agent, flight instructor and owner of the Sound Talent Group booking agency and Velocity Records label. Prior to taking off, Williams even posted several photos to Instagram of himself boarding the flight with Shapiro and sitting in the cockpit.
The Devil Wears Prada confirmed Williams’ death on their Instagram page, sharing several photos of Williams and Shapiro together.
Shapiro’s Cessna 550 jet crashed 2 miles south of San Diego’s Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport at 3:45 a.m. PT, according to the FAA statement. Flight data shows that the aircraft had taken off from Teterboro Airport, near New York City, late Wednesday night and briefly stopped to refuel in Wichita, Kansas, before continuing on to San Diego.
“Shapiro was a founding member of the National Independent Talent Organization and on Thursday, NITO officials released a statement sharing its members condolences,” the statement reads. “We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Dave Shapiro and his two colleagues. Dave was a visionary in the music industry and a founding partner of Sound Talent Group. His passion, dedication, and unwavering support for artists shaped the careers of countless musicians and helped elevate the live music experience for fans around the world. As a founding member of NIT0, Dave was instrumental in the initial formation and funding of the organization and assisted countless of our peers successfully navigate the pandemic shutdown of live music. Our sincerest condolences go out to Dave’s family, friends, and everyone at STG. This is a monumental loss to our community.”
The Devil Wears Prada charted two top 10 titles on the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart during Williams’ tenure with the group: 2010’s Zombie EP and 2011’s Dead Throne. Over on the Top Hard Rock Albums chart, they have two No. 1s among 11 entries: 2009’s With Roots Above and Branches Below and 2010’s Zombie EP. The band formed in 2005 in Dayton, Ohio, as a Christian metal group. Williams exited the group in 2016.
Dave Brooks
Billboard
