Sheila E. slammed festival organizers following the death of a woman at the concert whose body was allegedly left in the crowd until after her performance.
uncertain
body → slam → performance
The legendary musician admitted she was heartbroken upon hearing how Shari Sanders died at the Carson Jazz Festival amid sweltering temperatures over the weekend in Southern California.
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Sanders → admit → California
On social media, Sheila told her followers about a "very important" situation where a concertgoer died either "during or before" her performance.
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concertgoer → tell → performance
"This has never happened to me in my entire career," she said.
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she → happen → career
The musician explained that it was "very hot that day" with temperatures soaring above 100 degrees in Southern California.
"
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temperatures → explain → California
When we got there at 7:30 a.m., people were already in line sitting in their chairs waiting to get in," she said before noting that organizers opened the grounds 30 minutes early to let attendees in.
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organizers → get → attendees
She noted witnessing emergency crews "going through the crowds like crazy," while waiting with her band for her set at the festival.
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crews → note → festival
"We were thinking, it's so hot outside ... maybe people were dehydrated, and we could see that through the window of the dressing room," she said.
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she → think → room
"We never got our sound check, so things were running late.
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things → get → check
Production wasn't there, stuff was just happening."
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stuff → happen → ?
"We were waiting for the next band ... all of a sudden everything just stopped."
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everything → wait → band
She explained, "The lady, Shari Sanders, was saving seats – this is what we were told – was saving seats for her family and I guess someone saw her kind of slumped over a little bit, again this is what we were told."
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we → explain → what
Sheila said that the bystander asked her if she was "OK" and she was "not responsive."
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she → say → her
"Then that lead to, you know, people coming and trying to find out what's going on," she said.
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she → lead → ?
"We then saw paramedics, but this was like 20 minutes later."
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this → see → paramedics
The drummer said she was told the woman had passed.
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woman → say → ?
"We were all heartbroken because that's never happened, to have someone pass away before ...
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someone → happen → ?
and it was outside," she noted.
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she → note → ?
"The devastating part is she passed away," Sheila said before relaying that she heard there was minimal access to hydration stations throughout the venue.
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she → pass → venue
"Carson City, you need to do better ...
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you → need → ?
They've been bragging about that they've been doing it for 40 years, but this is not good to have people sitting outside for three hours to be able to come to a festival."
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people → brag → festival
Sheila admitted that she, along with the band, prayed for the woman before going on stage.
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she → admit → stage
"I stopped after the first song and dedicated the show to her and her family, and had a moment of silence for her," she said.
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she → stop → her
"Little did we know, that after we were done performing, we went back to the dressing room, we were then told at 5 p.m. – we were done around 4:30 – they had just picked up her body."
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they → know → body
It's devastating," she said.
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she → say → ?
"I just want to say to the community, that I would have never – never gotten on stage if I would have known that her body was still sitting there with her family surrounding her."
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family → want → her
Sheila said that production should have "stopped the festival" and said that the situation was "uncalled for."
"It made me sick to my stomach when I heard later on that ... that her body did not get taken until after we were off stage.
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we → say → stage
I am sorry that you lost a family member," she said.
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she → lose → member
"I want to send my personal condolences to you."
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I → want → you
She added, "I should not have played.
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I → add → ?
Someone should have told me that she was still there."
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she → tell → me
In a statement shared on social media, Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes wrote that "hearts are heavy following the tragic loss of a life at our community event."
"On behalf of the City, I extend our deepest condolences to the family, loved ones, and everyone affected by this tragedy," she wrote.
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she → share → tragedy
"I have personally reached out and have spoken to the family during this painful time, and I ask our entire community to join me in keeping them in your prayers – surrounding them with strength, comfort, and peace during this unimaginable moment."
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I → reach → moment
Fox News Digital reached out to the Mayor's office and the city of Carson for comment.
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Digital → reach → comment
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