Anohni, Regina Spektor and more have paid tribute to an Oakland musician who was killed in a robbery.
Dave Deporis died on Wednesday (August 9) after being robbed and dragged behind a car.
The 40-year-old musician was sitting outside a cafe in the Temescal area of Oakland when a man grabbed his laptop and drove away in a red Audi SUV, as the East Bay Times reports.
Deporis reportedly ran after the thief and grabbed onto the car. He was dragged down the street, during which he suffered “traumatic injuries”, according to the police officers who found him. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
As Pitchfork reports, Anohni called Deporis a “beautiful singer” and added “I have listened to a recording of his song ‘Swan King In The Snow’ hundreds of times over the years”. Regina Spektor echoed those sentiments and recalled hearing him for the first time at New York’s Sidewalk Cafe.
Kimya Dawson added: “Now everything you ever were. Swirling in it all as always. Forever in peace Dave Deporis. Thanks for the music.”
https://www.facebook.com/AntonyandtheJohnsons/posts/10155666469868552
Now everything you ever were. Swirling in it all as always.
Forever in peace Dave Deporis. Thanks for the music. ❤️https://t.co/b2AJhX1hcS— Kimya Dawson (@mrskimyadawson) August 10, 2017
I found out that the beautiful musician #DaveDeporis has passed away… I first heard him years ago at Sidewalk Cafe https://t.co/DiI63yfmMD
— Regina Spektor (@respektor) August 10, 2017
Some of the musician’s friends are organising a “celebration of life service” in his honour, to take place at Oakland’s Sol Gate Studios on September 9.
“We ask everyone who knew him to share memories, images, videos and music,” reads the Facebook event page. “It is our duty, as friends and family, to keep his philosopy, creations, and memory alive.”
A GoFundMe page has also been set up to help Deporis’ family fund an album compiled of his live and private recordings. At present, the page has raised $6,540 (£5,037) of the $20k (£15.4k) goal in just two days.