Apprehension in the world of music for Linda Perhacs. The influential singer-songwriter and forerunner of psychedelic folk remains untraceable and friends, collaborators and fans have launched a public appeal for news on her condition. The artist, now 82, reportedly stopped all contact about eight months ago, after being released from a residential care facility.
The story was made known by a post shared on Instagram by former manager Laurel Stearns, together with musician Julia Holter, drummer Mark “Frosty” McNeill and director Jessica Hundley, author of the video clip for “Prisms Of Glass”.
“Linda Perhacs, our dear friend and legendary singer-songwriter, was released from a residential care facility approximately eight months ago under the supervision of her legal guardian,” read the message signed by McNeill. “Since then, longtime friends and associates have been unable to contact her and repeated attempts to reach her guardian have reportedly gone unanswered. Please help us find Linda to make sure she is safe.”
Stearns then released an official statement explaining that “there is growing concern among friends, collaborators and members of the music community regarding the well-being and current whereabouts of acclaimed singer-songwriter Linda Perhacs.” After her resignation from the Los Angeles-area facility, “numerous longtime friends and associates report that they have no longer been able to establish direct contact with her. Repeated attempts to communicate with her guardian, they claim, have also gone unanswered.” The statement also states that “the people who made this statement are not accusing anyone of illicit behavior. They are simply asking for confirmation that Linda is safe, well and receiving appropriate care, while at the same time expressing concern about the prolonged silence surrounding a figure so loved by the public.”
Stearns confirmed he filed a missing person report with the Los Angeles Police Department on June 6. The police would have started the investigation, but could not communicate to Stearns nor to Linda Perhacs' other friends what the musician's situation is, since none of them are legally recognized as family members or guardians with power of attorney.
Born in Los Angeles, Linda Perhacs was working as a dental hygienist in Beverly Hills when she was discovered by composer Leonard Rosenman, Oscar winner for soundtracks such as “Barry Lyndon”, “East Of Eden” and “Rebel Without a Cause”. Struck by the melodies the young woman hummed while working, Rosenman helped her get a recording contract that led to the release of “Parallelograms” in 1970, an album now considered a milestone of psychedelic folk.
At the time, however, the record went almost unnoticed and Perhacs abandoned his musical career, returning to his private life. Decades later, thanks to the rediscovery work of the Wild Places label and producer Michael Piper, “Parallelograms” was reissued in an expanded edition, starting the reevaluation of her work and convincing the singer-songwriter to return to the studio.
In 2014, at the age of 68 and 44 years after his debut, he released his second album, “The Soul of All Natural Things”, followed in 2017 by “I'm a Harmony”. Over the years, Perhacs has gained a new generation of admirers, including Julia Holter, Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes and numerous other musicians, many of whom expressed their concern on social media after the appeal went live.
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
