The Los Angeles region has experienced devastating wildfires that have significantly affected numerous music industry professionals residing there. With fires such as the Palisades, Eaton, and others, entire communities inhabited by artists, publicists, managers, agents, songwriters, record label executives, session musicians, and other music-related professionals have been tragically destroyed in an unparalleled disaster.
Historically, the music industry, often considered a close-knit group, has been renowned for taking care of its own members. Yesterday, The Recording Academy and its philanthropic branch, MusiCares, declared they would be donating $1 million to aid music professionals who have been affected by the fires.
Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of The Recording Academy, acknowledged the distressing effects of the destruction on the local community, emphasizing, “We stand united as an industry to aid each other. Our institutions are here to champion music enthusiasts because music has the power to do great good in the world. We hope the wider industry will join us in this endeavor.
MusicCare provides immediate financial aid of $1,500 and $500 in food vouchers to individuals who have been working in the music industry for at least five years. This assistance is intended to help with short-term emergency needs, with longer-term services becoming available as they assess the full impact on the music community. For more information, please contact MusicCare at musicaresrelief@musicares.org or call 1-800-687-4227.
A grassroots initiative is currently in motion to support music professionals, with a shared Google spreadsheet listing numerous GoFundMe campaigns (complete with links). This document has been widely distributed within the industry and has grown to over 100 names at present.
Among the artists affected are Taylor Goldsmith (lead singer of Dawes) and his wife Mandy Moore, musician Jake Troth, Stevie Aiello from Thirty Seconds to Mars, Joe Sumner of Fiction Plane who is Sting’s son, Marko DeSantis from Sugarcult, Zachary Cole Smith of DIIV, Cisco Adler, and Chris Shiflett who plays guitar for Foo Fighters.
Lesley Zimmerman, an experienced independent publicist who works for Mitch Schneider’s PR firm (now known as SRO), is also on that list. She learned from a neighbor that her childhood home in Pacific Palisades, which she inherited after her parents passed away and where she raised her daughter, had been demolished.
She wrote on Facebook, ‘I’m heartbroken.’ Leaving so suddenly, she only managed to grab her workout clothes; apparently, she doesn’t own any casual clothes like jeans anymore. She was brought up in that house and now it feels empty – devoid of photos, memories, or anything at all. It hurts deeply.
Notable executives from various music industries such as Republic Records’ Brett Dumler, Live Nation’s Tom See, Pulse Music Group’s Joe Poindexter, Danny Wimmer Presents’ Gary Spivack, Wasserman Music’s Mike Sosin, and Hollywood Records’ Scot Finck have been impacted.
Representatives like Alexandra Baker from High Rise PR, who handles artists such as Billie Eilish and Duran Duran, Kathryn Frazier of Biz3 (The Weeknd), Diana Baron representing the Michael Jackson estate, Kim Grant and partner Justin Smith at KG Music Press, and Stephanie Weiss are among those in the publicity industry who have suffered significant losses.
The managers affected are Michele Harrison Sackheim (alongside her spouse, Rick Sakheim from Epic Records), and Evan Winiker, who is associated with Range Media Partners. Both of them have properties in Malibu.
Various notable individuals such as Chris Douridas (longtime radio personality and music supervisor at KCRW), Bob Clearmountain (mixing engineer and owner of Apogee Studio), Scott Dudelson (journalist and photographer), Tina Fasbender (business manager) and Eduardo “Mack” Mackinlay (music mixer for Jimmy Kimmel Live!) have all confirmed that their homes were completely destroyed.
In other professional circles, organizations such as We Are Moving the Needle and The 100 Percenters have started charitable campaigns aimed at supporting content creators.
David Jenkins, an ardent supporter of local music and a key figure in the Wild Honey group, simultaneously employed at Truetone Music in Santa Monica and serving behind the counter at Freakbeat Records in Sherman Oaks, put it most eloquently.
He wrote, “I’m at a loss for words. It’s time for us to unite and support our loved ones as they rebuild. If you’re in the affected area, stay safe and do whatever you can to assist. Kindness is key here – lend a helping hand wherever possible. Reach out to others and let’s work towards creating a brighter day for those who are suffering.
The long road back to normalcy has just begun.
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2025-01-11 00:24