David Platillero Walks Grad Ceremony

David Platillero, the son of EventBooking founder/CEO John Platillero, recently walked across the stage during his graduation ceremony at Nashville’s Blackbird Academy on his own, assisted just by forearm crutches, a little over a year after a car accident left him paralyzed from the waist down.

Karla Wilhelm – Graduation Day!
David Platillero takes part in the June 2017 graduation ceremony at The Blackbird Academy in Nashville.

While riding his bicycle home from the professional audio school in April 2016, the musician/producer/engineer was hit by a driver who ran a red light, according to the Tennessean. The paper reports, “His body slammed into the windshield, launched 10 feet into the air and crashed into the pavement. His back was snapped, his spinal cord ripped and his left forearm shredded.”

A crowdfunding campaign organized by Blackbird Academy owners EventBooking and John McBride raised more than $32,000 and Platillero was able to go through rehabilitation at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta.

Since then he’s relearned to walk, performed with Martina McBride and Steven Curtis Chapman, played guitar with Katy Perry, recorded more than 20 songs, and gotten engaged.

Learn more about Platillero at his website, DavidPlatillero.com.