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Who is Daniel Williams, Devil Wears Prada drummer feared dead in San Diego Cessna 550 plane crash
Daniel Williams, former drummer of the band The Devil Wears Prada, is feared dead in the Cessna 550 plane crash in San Diego's Murphy Canyon
Daniel Williams, former drummer of the band The Devil Wears Prada, is feared dead in the Cessna 550 plane crash in San Diego's Murphy Canyon early on Thursday. The 39-year-old had shared a photo of himself at the controls of the aircraft, saying he was the ‘co-pilot now’. It is unclear if her was joking. Authorities are yet to confirm the victims' identities.
This comes hours after a Cessna 550 private plane crashed in San Diego’s Murphy Canyon neighborhood, at around 3:47 AM local time during dense fog. The crash, near the 3100 block of Salmon Street, caused a fireball that set multiple homes and cars ablaze, affecting at least 15 properties.
Read More: San Diego plane crash update: Multiple dead after Cessna 550 went down in Murphy Canyon
San Diego Fire-Rescue declared it a HAZMAT situation due to jet fuel leakage, and evacuations spanned several streets. The FAA reported no survivors, with the plane capable of carrying 8–10 passengers, though the exact number aboard is unknown. The NTSB is investigating the cause, with no details on the flight’s origin beyond it coming from the Midwest.
Who is Daniel Williams?
Born in Dayton, Ohio, Williams began playing drums in sixth grade, starting with a snare in a high school band before joining a punk band with friends, per an interview with Colorado Music Buzz. He co-founded The Devil Wears Prada in 2005, a Christian-influenced metalcore band named after the novel for its non-materialistic connotations.
Williams was the drummer from 2005 until his departure in July 2016, contributing to albums like Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord (2006), Plagues (2007), With Roots Above and Branches Below (2009), Dead Throne (2011), 8:18 (2013), and the Space EP (2015). The band, initially signed to Rise Records, later moved to Ferret, Warner, and Roadrunner before returning to Rise.
Read More: San Diego plane crash: Who owned Cessna 550 aircraft that went down in Murphy Canyon?
The Devil Wears Prada announced Williams’ exit in July 2016, stating, “We wish him nothing but the best with everything he does going forward,” as they prepared a new album with producer Dan Korneff.
Daniel Williams confirmed his departure on X, expressing gratitude to fans and inviting them to “say hi to me on the street in San Diego,” indicating he had relocated there.
On Thursday, social media users found Williams' Instagram story where he said he was boarding the Cessna aircraft.
“It looks like Daniel Williams, former drummer for The Devil Wears Prada, was on board the plane that crashed in San Diego this morning. Absolutely heartbreaking,” one person noted on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
