Fans of folk music icon Linda Perhacs are growing increasingly worried after news broke that the legendary singer-songwriter has reportedly been missing from the lives of her closest friends and collaborators for months.
According to Entertainment Weekly and Page Six this week, the 82-year-old musician has not been heard from since she was discharged from a residential care facility about eight months ago (!) while under the supervision of a legal guardian.
Related: Has Savannah Guthrie Now PAID The Ransom Demand For Missing Mother Nancy?!
The alarming update first gained widespread attention on Monday after Perhacs’ friend Mark McNeill, the co-founder of online radio station Dublab, took to Instagram with an emotional plea asking the public to help locate the beloved artist.
He wrote:
“Linda Perhacs our dear friend and legendary singer-songwriter was discharged from a residential care facility approximately eight months ago under the supervision of her legal guardian. Since then, friends and longtime collaborators have been unable to reach her and repeated attempts to contact her guardian have reportedly gone unanswered. Please help us locate Linda to ensure her wellbeing.”
That is certainly enough to raise eyebrows.
McNeill also encouraged anyone with verified information about Perhacs’ whereabouts or a current way to reach her to contact her former manager, Laurel Stearns, by email.
Stearns quickly expanded on those concerns in a statement to EW, explaining that anxiety has been building among Perhacs’ friends, collaborators, and members of the music community ever since her release from the Los Angeles-area care facility late last year.
According to the outlet, those closest to the singer say they have been unable to communicate with her directly despite repeated efforts. Stearns added:
“Repeated attempts to communicate with her guardian have also, they say, gone unanswered.”
At this point, the identity of Perhacs’ legal guardian has not been publicly clarified, either — adding another layer of mystery to an already troubling situation.
Speaking further with Page Six on Tuesday, Stearns emphasized that everyone involved is focused on one thing above all else:
“We are taking all measures. Our priority here is to get the word out and make sure that she is safe and comfortable.”
For longtime fans, the news is especially heartbreaking given Perhacs’ remarkable and unconventional career.
Related: Calgary Police Refocus Search For Autistic Boy As Family Shares New Statement
She first introduced the world to her dreamy, psychedelic folk sound with her 1970 debut album, Parallelograms, which she recorded while working as a dental hygienist. Although the record initially flew under the radar commercially, it eventually became a cult favorite decades later after being rediscovered by collectors and embraced by a new generation of listeners during the rise of the so-called New Weird America movement and through growing internet buzz.
That renewed appreciation eventually led Perhacs back into the recording studio. She released the acclaimed comeback album The Soul of All Natural Things in 2014 before following it with I’m A Harmony three years later.
For now, though, the focus has shifted away from music and toward something much more important. Friends, collaborators, and admirers simply want reassurance that Linda is safe. We can only hope…
[Image via Linda Perhacs/Instagram]