Music legend Sheila E. criticized organizers of the Carson Jazz Festival in Los Angeles after a concertgoer named Shari Sanders died during the event over the weekend. Sanders's body was reportedly left unattended in the crowd for hours before being removed after Sheila E.’s performance ended around 4:30 PM, while temperatures exceeded 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Sheila expressed her distress at this incident, which she said never happened throughout her career, and highlighted concerns over hydration access and management of the event grounds.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
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.
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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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