Music exec Dave Shapiro, killed in Cessna crash, called ‘best in the game’

Dave Shapiro a groundbreaking music executive in the heavy metal and hard rock scene was one of those killed in the Murphy Canyon plane crash early Thursday He was Shapiro had a pilot s license and was listed as the owner of the Cessna that crashed according to the Federal Aviation Administration The music agency Sound Talent Group which he co-founded established that he died along with two employees We are devastated by the loss of our co-founder colleagues and friends the agency revealed in a message Shapiro launched Sound Talent Group in with Tim Borror and Matt Andersen The roster for the agency with offices listed in El Cajon New York City and Nashville focuses on alternative bands across pop-punk metalcore post-hardcore and other popular subgenres The agency s clients have included Hanson Pierce The Veil Parkway Drive Sum and Vanessa Carlton Shapiro was a strong advocate for independent musicians and a co-founder of the National Independent Talent Organization He was included in Billboard s Under list recognizing rising stars in entertainment Industry veterans say Shapiro paved the way for the formation of other independent agencies and helped a large number of alternative bands find audiences in the mainstream Nowadays we are all mourning the tragic loss of our longtime friend and booking agent Dave Shapiro Dave was fearless in life and tireless in his work and the kind of friend you would want on your speed dial Dave seemed to unfailingly be working on a new endeavor or to be going on a pic twitter com HO cm Aew HANSON hansonmusic May Finding something you love to do is only going to make you do a better job because you literally care You re not just showing up for the paycheck it s not a -to- he commented during a music industry podcast in This is part of living your life if you really love it Shapiro grew up in upstate New York in the straightedge hard-core scene a subculture that promotes not using drugs and alcohol a reaction to mainstream punk In high school he started a band with his friends Win Records signed them right when they graduated They toured for a scarce years during which he made connections in the music industry that would help his foray into the business side of the industry Shapiro stated he became instantly hooked on aviation after taking his first intro flight at age He seemed to love music and flying with equal passion at one point opening an office of his talent agency at a hangar Flying helps me focus and helps me not be distracted by all the nonsense in the world and whatever s going on outside the plane kind of doesn t matter in those moments Shapiro declared in a podcast interview Shapiro owned a flight school called Velocity Aviation and a record label Velocity Records You changed the lives of so countless people Dave Shapiro forever xxx pic twitter com vW PrBQ vL sarah coffeeetrash May He offered flights in both San Diego and Homer Alaska where he and his wife Julia Pawlik Shapiro owned a home according to his online posts Shapiro married his wife in in the small town of Talkeetna Alaska They picked up their wedding licenses got on a plane and flew to a glacier inside Denali National Park landing with skis strapped to the plane s wheels When I met Dave we became instantly bonded over the unconventional lifestyles we lead and our constant need for adventure she wrote in a blog post In he posted on Instagram that he had obtained his airline travel pilot rating the highest level of certification issued by the U S Although I have a career and don t plan to change that I constantly want to learn more and be a better pilot he wrote on a post that was attracting multiple new comments salutes after his death Fly high Rest in Peace one responder revealed He was also an adrenaline junkie who enjoyed base-jumping Tributes poured in Thursday from musicians and others in the industry who called him warm genuine and someone who helped little-known bands put their names on the map He would listen to any band you put in front of him to give them a chance explained Dayna Ghiraldi-Travers founder of community relations agency Big Picture Media who worked with Shapiro for over years A post on Hanson on the social platform X read Dave was fearless in life and tireless in his work and the kind of friend you would want on your speed dial We are grateful for the years we knew him Nate Blasdell former lead guitarist for the band I Set My Friends on Fire commented he was absolutely heartbroken Dave was the first booking agent I ever worked with and he was a major part of my music career in my late teen years he commented in a post on X He was truly the best in the challenge and one of the largest part respected people in the industry Sum singer Deryck Whibley credits Shapiro to helping build the rock band back up during a low point in their career His opinion mattered so much to me Whibley commented He was that guy I would go to for advice on things Shapiro had flown out in his new plane to see Sum s induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in March During their last conversation he promised Whibley that he would return Me and my wife we re going to fly to you Whibley reported Shapiro declared to him We re going to pick you up and we re going to go somewhere crazy for lunch