Friends and former collaborators of folk singer Linda Perhacs have issued a public appeal for help locating the 82-year-old after losing contact with her roughly eight months ago, following her discharge from a residential care facility in California, per pitchfork.com.
Perhacs, best known for her 1970 debut album Parallelograms, was last seen by friends at an assisted living facility in the San Fernando Valley, where she had lived for about eight years. She was discharged from the facility approximately eight months ago under the supervision of her legal guardians and caregivers, according to a statement shared online by former manager Laurel Stearns, musician Julia Holter and DubLab co-founder Mark “Frosty” McNeill.
Since the discharge, Stearns and others say repeated attempts to reach Perhacs and her legal guardians have gone unanswered. Stearns, who managed Perhacs from 2013 to 2016 and worked on the 2014 album The Soul of All Natural Things, told Pitchfork that her priority is ensuring Perhacs is safe and comfortable.
A missing persons report was filed with the Los Angeles Police Department on June 6. Police investigated but have not been able to share Perhacs’ status with Stearns or other friends because they are not legal family members or caregivers with power of attorney, Stearns said.
The group emphasised they are not alleging wrongdoing and are seeking confirmation of Perhacs’ well-being. They have asked anyone with verified information about her location or condition to contact Stearns at lstearns@primarywave.com.
Perhacs’ debut album gained a cult following after being rediscovered in the 2000s, influencing artists in the freak-folk movement and leading to samples by Daft Punk and Nas. She released two further albums, in 2014 and 2017, the latter featuring collaborations with Holter.
°Featured image: Linda Perhacs/Kyle Safieh