Legendary folk singer Linda Perhacs reported missing eight months as friends fear for her well-being

Folk music icon Linda Perhacs has reportedly been missing for eight months after leaving a residential care facility, leaving friends and former collaborators deeply concerned about her well-being. The singer behind the acclaimed song Dolphin is now being sought by people close to her who say they have been unable to make contact.

According to Page Six, Perhacs’ friend Mark McNeill shared a public appeal on Instagram asking for help locating the singer. McNeill said Perhacs was discharged from the care facility around eight months ago under the supervision of her legal guardian. Since then, friends and longtime collaborators have reportedly struggled to reach her.

The appeal was shared alongside Laurel Stearns, Perhacs’ former manager, as well as filmmaker Jessica Hundley and musician Julia Holter. The group is hoping someone with reliable information about Perhacs’ location or current contact details can help confirm that she is safe.

It’s hard for her friends to understand how no one has been able to reach her

He asked anyone with verified information about her whereabouts or current contact details to contact her former manager, Laurel Stearns. McNeill added that Perhacs was discharged from the facility under the supervision of her legal guardian. He also claimed that repeated attempts to contact the guardian have gone unanswered.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Stearns said concern has continued to grow as repeated attempts to reconnect with Perhacs have gone unanswered. She said friends, collaborators, and others in the music community have all been trying to locate the singer since her departure from the residential facility. 

Stearns also said the group is “taking all measures” to spread awareness in hopes of reaching someone who knows where Perhacs is. She said the effort is focused solely on confirming the singer’s well-being.

Perhacs first gained recognition with her 1970 debut album Parallelograms, which she recorded while working as a dental hygienist. Although the album attracted little attention upon its release, it was later rediscovered by collectors and became regarded as one of the defining works of psychedelic folk music.

The album’s growing reputation eventually led to several reissues, while the rise of the internet and the New Weird America movement introduced Perhacs’ music to a new generation of listeners. She returned to recording decades later with The Soul of All Natural Things in 2014, and I’m a Harmony in 2017. As the search continues, friends and longtime collaborators say they remain hopeful they will be able to reconnect with the singer.