John Mayer Sends a Message to Those Who ‘Lost Everything’ in LA Wildfires: ‘I Don’t Practice Prayer, But Tonight I Will Say One’
John Mayer is sending a message to victims of the devastating wildfires across Los Angeles County, recognizing that many of the losses suffered this week are truly and tragically irreplaceable.
On his social accounts, Mayer shared a photo of a file folder containing photos of his 97-year-old father, Richard, “spanning his life from being a baby, an educator, a husband and a father,” which the singer/songwriter called “the most valuable thing I own.”
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“It’s the only evidence of his life that will exist over time,” Mayer wrote in his caption. “These are the ‘documents’ you read about people taking from their homes. When you hear someone say they’ve lost everything in a fire, this is much of that everything, if not all of it. Those who say they’ll be okay still have their folders and their albums. Those who are inconsolable have lost them.”
Many ordered to evacuate fire zones starting on Tuesday had just minutes to round up their families and pets and grab anything they could before leaving homes they might never return to. Mayer’s caption addressed those who didn’t have time to salvage anything beyond the essentials, like the sentimental treasures that can never be replaced.
“Just behind the immeasurable loss of life is the loss of the proof of life,” he wrote. “I don’t practice prayer but tonight I will say one for everyone who no longer has these items. It’s not about the art and the collectibles. It’s the photos, the letters, the class rings, the eyeglasses and the things we keep to remind us that those we loved were here. May those who have lost so much find some semblance of hope and support from their family and friends.”
Mayer ended his message by urging everyone to “stay safe, look out for yourself and for one another, and trust that humanity and all it entails, though sometimes hard to see, is alive and well. This is truly devastating.”
Five people have been confirmed dead after multiple fires raging throughout Los Angeles County, starting on Tuesday. Late Thursday, the latest blaze, called the the Kenneth Fire, was threatening the Calabasas area. Billboard has compiled an updating list of organizations offering relief for musicians and music industry professionals affected by the hugely destructive blazes, as well as an ongoing roundup of events and concerts canceled or postponed due to the fires.
Find Mayer’s full message below:
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