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“The world is dimmer”: tributes flood in for Valencia, the late manager of My Chemical Romance and Grimes
By Anna Grace on 15 Jul 2019
Artists and music industry professionals have taken to social media to pay respects to late artist manager Lauren Valencia, who died following a battle with cancer.
Valencia joined Roc Nation in 2012 and worked with artists including Grimes and My Chemical Romance.
“Our hearts are heavy,” says Roc Nation chief executive Jay Brown. “We’ve lost a family member in the physical world but we know Lauren’s spirit will continue on until the end of time. She lived in love, happiness, empathy and camaraderie. The world is a better place because Lauren walked among us.”
Members of My Chemical Romance, who Valencia managed in their last years as a band, also paid tribute to their former manager.
“You were the best manager a girl could ask for”
“You were a light that kept me going when times were really hard,” writes former frontman Gerard Way. “You were there for every show, every early morning flight and lobby call. The world is dimmer today, but I will always have your light to get me through.”
The band’s former guitarist Frank Iero describes Valencia as “one of the kindest, most hardworking people”, crediting the manager as “the only reason anything got done” in the band’s last years.
Canadian singer-songwriter Grimes, who was managed by Valencia at Roc Nation, also pays her respects, saying “for the last seven years you were the best manager a girl could ask for.”
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