Twitch’s Head of Music, Cindy Charles, has passed away at the age of 69. She succumbed to her injuries stemming from a car accident while in The Netherlands. Kira Karlstrom, the Head of Twitch Music Label Relations, confirmed the same in a blog post.
Charles was slated to moderate a panel at the Amsterdam Dance Event on Thursday, October 17.
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Karlstrom's statement read:
"It's with a heavy heart that I share the tragic news of Cindy Charles’ passing earlier this week in a traffic accident in Amsterdam. Cindy was more than just Twitch’s Head of Music — she was the heart and soul of our team, and a force for good in everything she touched."
Cindy Charles was the "light that filled every room," tribute reads
Charles had a major role in championing the development of Twitch’s DJ category. It became the first platform that allowed DJs to legally stream live. Just earlier this month, Charli XCX availed of this option in streaming her album preview at Storm King in Upstate New York.
Karlstrom's statement continued, reflecting on Cindy's life:
"Cindy grew up in Queens, New York, and attended SUNY Buffalo, where she majored in Political Science with dreams of joining the world of politics. But after working on her first campaign and witnessing her father’s experience as an entertainment lawyer, she decided to take her talents in a different direction — a form of activism that spoke to her passion: advocacy for music, for artists, and for women."
She continued, describing Cindy as a "mentor, a confidante, a friend, and to me, one of my closest."
She regarded her as "family," asserting that, "Cindy had this magnetic presence — she was the light that filled every room, the laughter that broke through even the hardest moments, and the energy that kept us pushing forward when we needed it most."
She ended the statement by saying,
"Cindy’s song may have ended far too soon, but her melody will live on in all of us who were lucky enough to know her."
Twitch CEO reflects on Cindy Charles' passing
Twitch CEO Daniel Clancy also confirmed the same on October 18 on LinkedIn, stating,
"Most of the members of the Twitch community are probably not familiar with Cindy's work, but she has been leading our team that manages our relationship with the music industry. Cindy has a deep history in the music business and she has been critical in creating the strong relationships that we have today. Anyone that uses music on Twitch owes a debt of gratitude to Cindy's work."
He described Cindy as always having "a bright smile on her face even as she negotiated unprecedented music licensing agreements for Twitch including the recent DJ agreement." He continued, noting that she was a caring person. The statement further read:
"We will all dearly miss her. She will be missed and we are sorry to see her go. A little bit of her will remain with all of us that worked with her all of these years. Please read Kira Karlstrom's (Kira Karlstrom) wonderful post on Medium talking about Cindy and her contributions."
Cindy Charles leaves behind her husband, Ricky Fishman, and two sons. In a post on Facebook, Ricky penned,
"There will be no filling the hole in the universe left by Cindy's departure from this world. She gave love and she received love, building a network of friends unrivaled by any person I have ever known. So many are grieving right now."
He continued, noting that Cindy Charles was "an icon in the music biz," and "at the top of her game." He ended the statement by saying that her "life was cut short, but it burned brightly as her memory surely will."
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