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Dave Shapiro, a music agent and co-founder of Sound Talent Group, died in a San Diego plane crash on May 22, 2025, at age 42, the Associated Press reported. Two Sound Talent Group employees also died. Shapiro’s career connected his experience as a touring drummer with more than two decades of artist representation, including work with acts across alternative and hard rock.
Who was Dave Shapiro?
Shapiro was a music agent who co-founded Sound Talent Group in 2018 with Tim Borror and Matt Andersen, former colleagues at United Talent Agency. According to a Sound Talent Group release reported by Pollstar, he had worked as an agent for more than 20 years.
His route into the business began onstage. Shapiro played drums and toured with his high-school band, Count the Stars, before moving into talent representation. He described the work as something rooted in personal commitment in a 2021 music-industry podcast, quoted by the Associated Press: “Finding something you love to do is only going to make you do a better job because you actually care. You’re not just showing up for the paycheck, it’s not a 9-to-5,” he said. “This is part of living your life if you really love it.”
What bands did Shapiro and Sound Talent Group work with?
Sound Talent Group represented artists in alternative, pop-punk, metalcore, post-hardcore and hard rock. The Associated Press named Pierce the Veil, Sum 41, Parkway Drive, Hanson and Vanessa Carlton among the agency’s clients. ABC News Australia identified Shapiro as the U.S. representative for Australian acts Parkway Drive, The Amity Affliction and Northlane. These are examples reported by those outlets, not a complete or current roster.
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Shapiro also helped establish the National Independent Talent Organization (NITO), which advocates for independent talent agencies. Billboard included him in its 2012 “30 Under 30” list, according to the Associated Press. Dayna Ghiraldi-Travers, founder of Big Picture Media, told AP: “He would listen to any band you put in front of him to give them a chance.” NITO described him in a statement reproduced by Rolling Stone as “a visionary in the music industry and a founding partner of Sound Talent Group.”
How did Dave Shapiro die?
Shapiro died in a plane crash in San Diego on Thursday morning, May 22, 2025. Sound Talent Group confirmed his death and the deaths of two employees. Pollstar’s May 24 follow-up, citing the agency’s release, identified them as booking associates Kendall Fortner and Emma Huke. The agency said: “We are devastated by the loss of our co-founder, colleagues and friends,” as quoted in the Associated Press report.
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What caused the San Diego plane crash?
The cause should not be stated as known. ABC News Australia reported at the time that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it would work over the following year to determine what caused the crash. The NTSB material reviewed for this account did not establish a case-specific final report or probable-cause finding. Without such a finding, claims about weather, the aircraft’s condition, pilot actions or other causes would be speculation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Shapiro’s connection to aviation
Flying was an important part of Shapiro’s life and business. AP reported that he held a pilot’s license, became interested in aviation after an introductory flight at age 22, and owned Velocity Aviation, a flight school, as well as Velocity Records, a record label. The report also said he opened a talent-agency office in a San Diego hangar. These biographical details do not establish what happened during the fatal flight or why the crash occurred.
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