Sheila E condemns Carson Jazz Festival after attendee dies during heat wave
The Grammy‑winning percussionist said the festival should have stopped the show after a VIP guest was found unconscious and later pronounced dead.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Grammy‑winning percussionist Sheila E has publicly criticised the Carson Jazz Festival in California after a concertgoer died at the event.
What happened
On Saturday, Shari Sanders was found unconscious in the VIP section of the Carson Jazz Festival amid a heat wave that pushed temperatures above 100 °F. She was later pronounced dead, with her family telling local station KTLA that the death was linked to heat‑related illness. The festival continued its program, and Sheila E took the stage later that afternoon, performing before Sanders’ body had been removed from the venue at around 5 p.m. local time.
What the reports add
- The Independent notes that a doctor at the festival performed CPR on Sanders for about 20 minutes before she could not be revived.
- Sheila E said she saw first responders “going through the crowds like crazy” and observed that “people were dehydrated” from the extreme heat.
- She explained that the festival had not provided a sound check, causing the schedule to run late and production to be “just happening.”
- According to the outlet, Sanders was “saving seats” for her family when she collapsed, and her body was covered and left on site until it was taken away about a half‑hour after Sheila E finished her set.
What was said
“This has never happened to me in my entire career. It was devastating. Her name was Shari Sanders.”
Sheila E said this in an Instagram video shared Monday, as reported by The Independent.
“We were thinking, it’s so hot outside [that] maybe people were dehydrated, and we could see that through the window of the dressing room.”
She added that she “never got our sound check, so things were running late. Production wasn’t there, stuff was just happening.”
“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.”
During her performance, Sheila E paused to ask the crowd to say a blessing for Sanders and held a moment of silence, unaware that the body was still on the grounds.
“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.”
She later said she felt sick when she learned the full details of Sanders’ death.
Key facts
- Shari Sanders was found unconscious in the VIP section of the Carson Jazz Festival on Saturday. (independent.co.uk)
- She died of a heat‑related illness, according to her family via KTLA. (independent.co.uk)
- Sheila E performed at the festival after Sanders’ body had not yet been removed, around 5 p.m. local time. (independent.co.uk)
- Sheila E said in an Instagram video that the incident was "devastating" and that such a situation had never occurred in her career. (independent.co.uk)
