Close friends of Linda Perhax fear the missing 82-year-old folk singer was left behind after being released from a medical facility nearly eight months ago.
“My biggest fear is that she was just dropped off on the street somewhere,” Perhax’s music co-producer Fernando Perdomo told Page Six on Tuesday.
Perdomo said she contacted the medical facility to learn more about her friend, but staff told her they could not reveal the address of the home where Perhax was transferred.
“The only thing they can say is they won’t allow anyone to get tested if they don’t have a suitable place to live,” he says. “But it could mean something.”
The guitarist reflected on his close relationship with the “Dolphin” artist, saying they “spent a lot of time together” before her disappearance.
“I was the one who cheered her up from the cold-call emails I sent her when I first moved to Los Angeles in 2012,” he recalled. “And it exploded and it was really amazing. It was incredible to see this organic situation where we started making music and people wanted to listen to it.”
Perdomo last saw Perhax in September 2024 at her medical facility to celebrate her 80th birthday.
“(We) came over and sang her song, and she sat on the couch and sang along for a little bit and seemed very happy,” he recalled.
Perdomo said she later learned from someone who visited her that Perhax’s memory was “losing.” For this reason, he wanted to be careful about his visit so as not to confuse Mr. Perdomo.
About six weeks ago, Perdomo recorded a podcast episode dedicated to Perhacs.
“I thought that if she listened to this podcast, it might bring back some good memories, so I called the memory center and told her about it. There, I was told the shocking news that she had had a close relative tested eight months earlier,” he said.
Perdomo explained that she had tried several times to contact Perhax’s caretaker, but was unsuccessful.
The musician filed a complaint with Adult Protective Services, has also contacted a private investigator, and has also filed a missing persons report with the Los Angeles Police Department. The Los Angeles Police Department was contacted by Page Six but could not confirm the report.
Perdomo praised Perhax for earning two record deals in his 70s, calling the feat “incredible.”
“We toured around the world, played some big shows, and she got some major press,” he said. “The last thing I remember she said was, ‘I’m so grateful to be able to make two more records. I’m just resting now.'”
Representatives for Perhax and the facility did not immediately respond to Page Six’s requests for comment.
“Due to confidentiality laws, we do not disclose any information about a specific individual, including whether that person is or has ever been a client of Adult Protective Services,” the Los Angeles County Department of Aging and Disabilities’ Adult Protective Services Program told Page Six in a statement Tuesday.
“While we cannot comment on individual situations, we respond to reports of abuse, neglect, or unsafe living conditions, in which case social workers will provide resources and options depending on the situation,” the statement added.
Several other friends have also spoken out about Perhax’s disappearance.
“Our dear friend and legendary singer-songwriter Linda Perhax was discharged from a residential care facility approximately 8 months ago under the supervision of her legal guardian,” Mark McNeil wrote on Instagram on Monday.
Since then, her friends and longtime collaborators have been unable to contact her, and multiple attempts to contact her guardians have reportedly gone unanswered,” he added, pleading with the public to “help us locate Linda to ensure she is safe.”
McNeil urged anyone with information to contact Perhax’s former manager, Laurel Stearns, at lstearns@primarywave.com.
