Dave Shapiro (music agent)
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Dave Shapiro | |
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| Born | January 10, 1983 Homer, Alaska, U.S. |
| Died | May 22, 2025 (aged 42) San Diego, California, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1995–2025 |
| Known for | Co-founding:
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| Spouse | Julia Pawlik (m. 2016) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instrument |
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| Years active | 1995–2003 |
| Labels |
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| Formerly of | |
Dave Shapiro (January 10, 1983 – May 22, 2025) was an American music agent, businessman and pilot. He was the co-founder of Sound Talent Group and was known for representing major rock and alternative artists including Sum 41, Parkway Drive, Pierce the Veil, and Vanessa Carlton.[1] Shapiro also founded Velocity Records and Velocity Aviation.[2][3]
Before working as a music agent and executive, he began his career in music as a performer. As a teenager, he was the drummer and a founding member of the pop-punk band Count the Stars, and signed to the Chicago-based Victory Records and went on tour with emerging rock acts, such as Taking Back Sunday, the Early November, Copeland, and Fall Out Boy.[4][5]
After the band broke up, Shapiro moved into the business side of the industry, launching his professional career at The Agency Group and subsequently joining United Talent Agency.[4]
Life and career
[edit]Early life and background
[edit]Dave Shapiro was born in Homer, Alaska, raised in Albany, New York and later moved to San Diego, California, when he started his music journey as a drummer.[6] Following high school, he worked at the Glenmont Price Chopper and as a delivery driver for My Place & Co. to support his band financially. He promoted the group by distributing flyers and selling tickets directly to friends. Demonstrating entrepreneurial initiative, he purchased a van and independently organized a self-booked tour along the East Coast.[5]
Career
[edit]In 1995, during his teenage years, Shapiro co-founded the band Count the Stars, with his friends Chris Kasarjian, Clarke Foley, and Adam Manning.[7] The band signed with Victory Records and performed alongside acts such as Fall Out Boy.[8] Following the group's disbandment, Shapiro continued his career in the music industry, beginning at The Agency Group before later joining United Talent Agency.[4] In 2018, he co-founded Sound Talent Group (STG) alongside Tim Borror and Matt Andersen.[9][10]
In 2012, he was named one of Billboard's "30 Under 30" most influential people in the music business.[11]
He also founded Velocity Records, which released albums from bands like Thursday and Craig Owens. In 2020, Shapiro helped create the National Independent Talent Organization (NITO) to support music professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic.[11]
Artists management
[edit]Shapiro managed artists included in the roster of Sound Talent Group, such as Lamb of God, Beartooth, Movements, Clutch, Ice Nine Kills, Sleeping with Sirens,[12] the Front Bottoms, Killswitch Engage, Motionless in White, Alexandra Kay,[13] In This Moment, Destroy Boys, Struggle Jennings, Black Label Society, Pierce the Veil, Sum 41, Taking Back Sunday, the Early November, Copeland, Fall Out Boy, I Prevail, Set it Off, Story of the Year, Silverstein, Parkway Drive, Hanson,[14] Eve 6, Jefferson Starship,[15] Steve Vai, and Vanessa Carlton.[16][1] He also operated the Velocity Records music label, whose roster has included Thursday, Concrete Castles and Craig Owens.[1]
Personal life and death
[edit]Shapiro married Julia Pawlik in 2016 in Talkeetna, Alaska. The couple flew to a glacier inside Denali National Park for their wedding ceremony.[17] In 2019, he posted on Instagram that he had obtained his airline transport pilot rating, the highest level of certification issued by the Federal Aviation Administration in the United States.[11]
On May 22, 2025, Shapiro was piloting a Cessna Citation II jet owned through his company Daviation LLC when it crashed into the Murphy Canyon neighborhood of San Diego around 3:45 a.m.[18][19] The crash occurred under foggy conditions as the plane approached Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport. All six people aboard died, including Shapiro, drummer Daniel Williams (formerly of The Devil Wears Prada), and two employees of Sound Talent Group.[20][21] "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," the agency said in a statement.
Discography
[edit]With Count the Stars
[edit]- Another Useless Night (2001) – Dream Sand Records
- Never Be Taken Alive (2003) – Victory Records
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Brooks, Dave (2025-05-22). "Dave Shapiro, Music Agent & Sound Talent Group Owner, Killed in San Diego Plane Crash at 42". Billboard. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
- ^ "Who was Dave Shapiro, the music agent killed in San Diego plane crash?". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
- ^ Marcone, Steve; Philp, Dave (2021-06-24). Managing Your Band: A Guide to Artist Management. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-5381-5596-7.
- ^ a b c Radhakrishnan, Manjusha (2025-05-24). "Dave Shapiro, heavy metal and hard rock music executive, tragically dies at 42 in plane crash". Gulf News: Latest UAE news, Dubai news, Business, travel news, Dubai Gold rate, prayer time, cinema. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
- ^ a b Schneider, H. Rose (May 23, 2025). "'We'll always be brothers': Bethlehem alums remember music exec killed in plane crash (Dave Shapiro, 42, played in Albany-area band Count The Stars)". Times Union. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
- ^ Dorfman, Mike; Royster, Meredith (2025-05-23). "What we've learned about the six San Diego plane crash victims". NBC 7 San Diego. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
- ^ "Count The Stars on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
- ^ Ding, Jaimie; Press, MARYCLAIRE DALE Associated (2025-05-23). "Dave Shapiro, groundbreaking music executive, dies in San Diego plane crash at 42". 19 News. Associated Press. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
{{cite web}}: Missing|author1=(help) - ^ Strauss, Matthew (2025-05-23). "Sound Talent Group Co-Founder Dave Shapiro Killed in San Diego Plane Crash". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
- ^ Garcia, Thania (2025-05-22). "Dave Shapiro, Sound Talent Group Co-Founder and Music Agent, Dies in San Diego Plane Crash". Variety. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
- ^ a b c "Who was Dave Shapiro? Sound Talent Group co-founder killed in San Diego plane crash". The Economic Times. 2025-05-23. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
- ^ "Breaking: Sound Talent Group Co-Founder Dave Shapiro Dies In Plane Crash - Pollstar News". news.pollstar.com. 2025-05-22. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
- ^ "Sound Talent Group Names Beth Keith, John Pantle, Eric Powell & Jake Zimmerman Partners - Pollstar News". news.pollstar.com. 2023-10-24. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
- ^ "Who was Dave Shapiro? Sound Talent Group co-founder killed in San Diego plane crash - The Economic Times". m.economictimes.com. 23 May 2025. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
- ^ Levenson, Michael (2025-05-23). "Drummer and Music Agent Among 6 Killed in San Diego Plane Crash". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
- ^ "Dave Shapiro: Sum 41 music agent killed in San Diego plane crash". www.bbc.com. 2025-05-23. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
- ^ "Dave Shapiro, groundbreaking music executive, dies in San Diego plane crash at 42". CTVNews. Associated Press. 2025-05-23. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
- ^ "Dave Shapiro, Renowned Music Agent, Dies in Plane Crash". Rolling Stone Australia. 2025-05-22. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
- ^ Alund, Natalie Neysa. "San Diego plane crash: Who died? Who was injured? Everything we know so far". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
- ^ "Former The Devil Wears Prada Drummer and Music Agent Killed When Their Private Plane Crashed into Neighborhood". People.com. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
- ^ Barraza, Paris. "Music community reacts to deaths of Dave Shapiro, Daniel Williams in San Diego plane crash". The Desert Sun. Retrieved 2025-05-23.