Cindy Charles, the 69-year-old head of music at Twitch, died on October 14, 2024, after being struck by a garbage truck near the Passeerdersgracht canal in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Charles was in the city to participate in a panel discussion at the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE), scheduled for October 17.
Emergency responders arrived at the scene, but Charles was pronounced dead at the location. The garbage truck driver was taken in for questioning as authorities continued to investigate the cause of the accident.
“Anyone that uses music on Twitch owes a debt of gratitude to Cindy’s work,” said Twitch CEO Daniel Clancy, acknowledging her contributions to the platform.
Charles joined Twitch in 2018 and was promoted to head of music in 2022. She played a pivotal role in developing the platform’s DJ category, making Twitch the first platform where DJs could legally livestream. Her team was also behind the successful live stream of Charli XCX’s album preview.
“Her life was cut short, but it burned brightly… There will be no filling the hole in the universe,” said her husband, Ricky Fishman, in a social media post.
Before her tenure at Twitch, Charles held senior positions at several major companies. She served as senior vice president and general counsel at MediaNet and vice president of law and business affairs at Viacom. Her expertise in digital media and music licensing made her an invaluable asset to the industry.
“A brilliant, multi-talented woman whose warmth, intelligence, and relentless drive drew people to her wherever she went,” said Kira Karlstrom, Twitch’s Head of Music Label Relations and Content Development and Programming.
Charles’ influence extended beyond her corporate roles. She served as an advisor to the Board of Governors of the Recording Academy, co-founded the San Francisco chapter of She Is the Music, an organization dedicated to creating opportunities for women in the music industry, and held positions on several advisory boards.
At Twitch, Charles was instrumental in negotiating unprecedented licensing agreements with major and independent labels. Her work established strong relationships between the platform and the music industry, creating new opportunities for artists and content creators.
Charles is survived by her husband, Ricky Fishman, her son, Ben Charles, and her stepson, Sam Fishman.
