Linda Perhacs’ friend fears missing singer was ‘dropped off on the street’ as concern grows
Linda Perhacs’ close friend is afraid the missing 82-year-old folk singer was abandoned after being checked out of a healthcare facility nearly eight months ago.
“My biggest fear is that she was just dropped off on the street somewhere,” Perhacs’ music co-producer Fernando Perdomo told Page Six Tuesday.
Perdomo said he contacted the healthcare facility in hopes of learning more about his friend, but staff told him they could not disclose the address of the home where Perhacs had been transferred.
“The only thing they could say is they don’t allow anybody to get checked out who doesn’t have a proper place to live,” he said. “But that could mean anything.”
The guitarist reflected on his close relationship with the “Dolphin” artist, telling us that they had “spent a lot of time together” before she vanished.
“I was the person that jumpstarted her just from a cold call email that I sent her when I first moved to LA in 2012,” he recalled. “And it blew up and it really was amazing. It was incredible to see an organic situation where we started making music and people wanted to hear it.”
The last time Perdomo saw Perhacs was to celebrate her 80th birthday at her healthcare facility in September 2024.
“[We] came over and sang her songs and she just sat on a couch and sang along a little bit and was very happy,” he remembered.
Perdomo said that he later heard through someone who had visited her that Perhacs’ memory was “failing,” so he wanted to be careful about visiting her to avoid confusing her.
Nearly six weeks ago, Perdomo recorded a podcast episode dedicated to Perhacs.
“I thought that if she hears this podcast, it might bring back some good memories, so I called the memory care center to tell Linda, and they told me the crushing news that she had been checked out by her next of kin eight months ago,” he said.
Perdomo explained that he has tried several times to get in contact with Perhacs’ caretaker but has had no luck.
The musician, who filed a report with Adult Protective Services, has also been in touch with private investigators and also filed a missing persons report with the LAPD. The LAPD could not confirm the report when contacted by Page Six.
Perdomo praised Perhacs for getting two record deals in her 70s, calling the feat “incredible.”
“We toured the world, we played some major shows and she got some major press,” he said. “One of the last things I remember her saying was, ‘I’m so thankful that I was able to make two more records and now I’m just resting.’”
A rep for Perhacs and the facility did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.
The Adult Protective Services Program of the Aging and Disabilities Department in the County of Los Angeles told Page Six in a statement Tuesday, “We do not disclose any information about specific individuals, including whether someone is or was an adult protective services client due to confidentiality laws.”
“While we cannot comment on the individual circumstances, we do respond to reports of abuse, neglect, or unsafe living conditions, and in that case, our social workers provide resources and options depending on the circumstances,” the statement added.
Several other friends have also spoken out about Perhacs unknown whereabouts.
“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,” Mark McNeill wrote in Instagram Monday.
Since then, friends and longtime collaborators have been unable to reach her and repeated attempts to contact her guardian have reportedly gone unanswered,” he added, before pleading, “Please help us locate Linda to ensure her wellbeing.”
McNeill urged anyone with information to reach out Perhacs’ former manager Laurel Stearns at lstearns@primarywave.com.
