Pierce The Veil has paid tribute to their manager and agent Dave Shapiro, who was among the casualties of a plane crash on Thursday.
Shapiro was part of a group who had boarded private Cessna 550 jet that crashed in the Murphy Canyon area of San Diego, California, while attempting to land at the nearby Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport. He was 42 years old. Former drummer of The Devil Wears Prada Daniel Williams was also killed in the crash, along with software engineer Dominic Damien, booking agents Kendall Fortner and Emma Huke and photographer Celina Kenyon.
Shapiro was a well-known and beloved music agent, who has represented the likes of Sum 41, Pierce the Veil, I Prevail, Set it Off, Story of the Year, Silverstein, Parkway Drive, Northlane, The Amity Affliction and more.
“We are devastated by the loss of our co-founder, colleagues and friends,” a spokesperson for his agency Sound Talent Group said in a statement to Billboard, confirming his death. “Our hearts go out to their families and to everyone impacted by today’s tragedy. Thank you so much for respecting their privacy at this time.”
While Shapiro worked with a long list of alternative bands, he had particularly close ties with Pierce The Veil as both their agent and manager.
In their tribute, the band wrote: “We lost our longtime agent, manager, and dear friend Dave Shapiro in a tragic plane accident on Thursday morning, along with other close colleagues and friends. It’s hard to put into words how much this man meant to so many of us. He made a profound impact in such a short time and touched countless lives around the world.
“We started working together nearly twenty years ago, when we were all in our early twenties — I think Jaime might have even been 19. Dave had just left his band, Count the Stars, and started booking for Equal Vision Records. We were the first band he ever booked, and we haven’t left each other’s side since. We even lived at Dave’s house between tours when we needed a place to stay, not just because we were broke, but because we just loved being around each other. He always looked out for us, no matter what.
“Friendship meant everything to Dave. He loved being around people and never wanted the excitement to end. He fought hard for the people he loved and wanted everyone around him to succeed. He taught us the importance of growing roots in this industry and showed us that longevity is the key to building a real career in music. We owe him everything. We’re proud of what we built together — but we’d give it all back in a heartbeat just to hear him tell a joke or one of his funny stories right now.
“Dave, we’re really gonna miss you. You were taken from us too soon. Thank you for giving us everything you had while you were here. Every time we take the stage, it will be in your memory. Our hearts go out to your wife, family, and the friends you loved so dearly. We’re also holding close the families of the colleagues and dear friends we lost in the crash as well. Rest in peace.”
In addition, Sleeping With Sirens revealed they played Shapiro’s favourite song of theirs, ‘Fire’, during their show in Long Island as a tribute to him. “We miss you more than words can say,” they added.
Our show in Long Island was one of the hardest shows we’ve ever played.
“Fire” was Dave’s favorite song. We played it for him and for everyone we lost.
This one was for you, Dave. For all of you. We miss you more than words can say.
Dave Shapiro
Daniel Williams
Dominic Damien… pic.twitter.com/O4UjRQPweL— Sleeping With Sirens (@SWStheband) May 25, 2025
Check out more tributes below:
Dave Shapiro x Daniel Williams forever ♥️
— DAYSEEKER (@dayseeker) May 23, 2025
People don’t understand how much of an impact Dave Shapiro had on the alternative music scene. RIP, you truly made this scene a better place, it’s going to be really hard without you.
— Ryan Joseph Kirby (@ryankirbz) May 22, 2025
Our heart breaks for Dave’s family and friends around the world. We are full with gratitude and love for everything he helped as achieve for nearly 20 years.
RIP Mr Shapiro you are irreplaceable 💔
— The Amity Affliction (@amityaffliction) May 23, 2025
Fearless is crushed by the passing of Dave Shapiro. He was a longtime friend & champion of many artists on our label, bringing an excellence & positivity matched by no other in the industry. We are grateful for his passion & will miss him deeply. Our hearts go out to all involved pic.twitter.com/dtmFgxWCLh
— Fearless Records (@FearlessRecords) May 23, 2025
The likes of The Word Alive and Hanson have also paid tribute.
