Obituary
THE ‘FATHER OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSIC INDUSTRY’ PASSES Frontier Touring founder Michael Gudinski, for five decades one of the best-known and most-loved figures in the concert business down under, has passed away at the age of 68.
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he sudden passing of Gudinski – who died in his sleep at his home in Melbourne on 1 March – has sent a shockwave through the industry in Australia and beyond, with colleagues, artists, business rivals and parliamentarians sending their condolences and appreciation for a man Jimmy Barnes describes as “the heart of Australian music.” Born Vale Michael Solomon Gudinski to Russian-Jewish parents in 1952, Gudinski founded record label and music publisher Mushroom Group at the age of 20. Mushroom went on to become Australia’s largest homegrown entertainment company, adding booking agency, merchandise, film/TV production, and concert promotion services. Frontier Touring, founded in 1979, remains Australia’s largest tour promoter, having worked with artists including Ed Sheeran, Kylie Minogue, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Paul McCartney and Foo Fighters. It merged with AEG Presents in 2019. The late promoter was honoured with a state funeral in his home region of Victoria on 24 March at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne – which was full for the first time since Covid-19
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brought events in the country to a standstill. British singer Ed Sheeran, who was granted an exemption to fly into Australia, headlined the memorial, delivering an emotional rendition of his hit Castle on the Hill, which is said to have been a personal favourite of Gudinski. Alongside Sheeran, there were live performances by Mushroom-associated Australian acts Jimmy Barnes, Kylie Minogue, Paul Kelly, Mark Seymour, Mia Wray, and Vika and Linda Bull. “Michael, the ‘Big G,’ took this little girl from Melbourne to the world and back home again,” Minogue said. Taylor Swift, Billy Joel, Elton John and Sting were among the international megastars to post video tributes that were aired on the night. “We will cherish his memory. Shine on, you crazy man,” said Elton, who trusted Gudinski to oversee his final Australian tour last year. In a statement, Mushroom Group said, “With the music industry severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, Michael conceptualised and developed Music from the Home Front, The Sound, and The State of Music, platforms designed to showcase and support contemporary Australian music in an incredibly difficult time. It speaks of the man he was that of his countless
illustrious career achievements, these projects that supported the industry he loved, were ones he was particularly proud of. Frontier Touring co-founder Michael Chugg, whose on-and-off business relationship with Gudinski culminated in his rejoining Mushroom Group in 2019, describes the passing of his friend as “shattering.” “It’s just so shocking,” he told Sydney radio station 2GB. “I first met him when he was a 16-yearold sitting at a desk at an agency in Melbourne, and we were friends, buddies and opponents ever since. It’s just one of the worst days of my life.” Bruce Springsteen is another of the artists to pay tribute to Gudinski’s achievements: “I’ve toured the world for the last 50 years and never met a better promoter.” Rival promoters including TEG and Live Nation Australia also sent their condolences, which respectively called Gudinski’s legacy “undeniable” and “extraordinary.” “You simply cannot tell the story of Australian music without Michael Gudinski squarely in the centre of it,” says Tony Burke MP, Australia’s shadow minister for the arts. “He was instrumental in turning it into a powerhouse, earning him the title ‘the father of the Australian music industry.’”
