Michael Gudinski
Ed Sheeran, Mick Jagger Pay Tribute to Late Cricketing Great Shane Warne: ‘Absolutely Gutted’
Several giants of the music world have paid tribute to Shane Warne, the Australian cricketing great who died suddenly March 4, aged 52. Warne, a proud Victorian and father of three, resurrected the art of leg spin bowling, a skill that’s considered close to impossible to master, and produced some balls that are among the finest ever inflicted on a batsman. A flamboyant bleach-blonde, Warne would go on to break the world record for wickets taken in Test matches, and enjoyed a following in England, where he played County Cricket for Hampshire, and in India, where he led Rajasthan Royals to the inaugural championship of the Indian Premier League. Warne’s party-boy reputation was tabloid fodder in England, though purists everywhere admired his talents and his box-office appeal. Explore See lat...
Ed Sheeran, Kylie Minogue, Jimmy Barnes & More Perform at Emotional Michael Gudinski Memorial
With Gudinski at the helm, his Frontier Touring Company became a concerts powerhouse, producing treks to these shores featuring many of the world’s biggest stars, from Taylor Swift to Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Leonard Cohen, Madonna and many others. None were bigger than Ed Sheehan’s late 2018 Divide tour, which sold more than 1.1 millions tickets across Australia and New Zealand, smashing records along the way. On hearing of Gudinski’s untimely death on March 2, at the age of 68, a heartbroken Sheeran remembered their record-smashing feats and life-long friendship. “His legacy is unmatchable, and will live on for hundreds of years,” he wrote. “To me, and many others, he is the heart of Australian music and always will be.” Sheeran made the long journey back Down Under for Wednesd...
On Eve of Michael Gudinski’s State Memorial, ARIA Unveils Award In His Honor
The announcement was made early Wednesday, just hours before Australia’s music community was due to gather with Gudinski’s friends and family for a state memorial at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena. The late entrepreneur was a giant of Australia’s music industry who launched the Mushroom Records brand at the age of 20, and turned his Mushroom Group of Companies into a sprawling, independent empire with more than two-dozen businesses reaching into every conceivable area of music and beyond. He passed away unexpectedly on March 2, aged 68. “In the past few weeks,” notes ARIA chairman Denis Handlin, “we have seen an outpouring of love, respect and admiration from so many around the world for the late Michael Gudinski who was a pioneer and true legend that changed the...
Bruce Springsteen Dedicates ‘I’ll See You In My Dreams’ to Michael Gudinski
On it, Springsteen sings, “The road is long and seeming without end/ The days go on, I remember you my friend/ And though you’re gone And my heart’s been emptied it seems I’ll see you in my dream.” Gudinski, chairman of the powerhouse Mushroom Group of Companies, died Monday (March 1) at his home in Melbourne, aged 68, sending shockwaves through the Australian music community and around the globe. News of Gudinski’s passing prompted an outpouring of grief on social media and was reported in newspapers stretching the world, including Ireland’s top-selling daily, The Independent. Springsteen led tributes to Gudinski, who he described as “first, last, and always a music man.” The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee continued, “I’ve toured the world for the last f...
Bruce Springsteen Remembers Michael Gudinski: ‘Never Met a Better Promoter’
Indeed, Springsteen would tour many times with Gudinski, including two separate treks within a 12-month span in 2013 and 2014. On learning the sad new of Gudinski’s passing, Springsteen was effusive in his praise of Gudinski. From one Boss to another. “My friend Michael Gudinski was first, last, and always a music man. I’ve toured the world for the last fifty years and never met a better promoter,” Springsteen wrote on social media. Gudinski always had his back, and always kept Bruce entertained. “He was loud, always in motion, intentionally (and unintentionally hilarious), and deeply soulful,” Springsteen recounts. “He will be remembered by artists, including this one, from all over the world every time they step foot on Australian soil.” Read Springsteen’s tribute in full below. My frien...
Music Icon Michael Gudinski Dies: Ed Sheeran, Foo Fighters, QOTSA, & More Pay Tribute
ARIA Hall of Fame inductee Kylie Minogue had worked with “The Big G” since the very beginning. She tweeted, “A Titan of the music industry. One of a kind and forever family to me. My heart is broken and I can’t believe he’s gone. Irreplaceable and unforgettable, I’ll always love you ‘The Big G’”. Australian Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese wrote, “Shocked and saddened to hear about the death of Michael Gudinski. We were both at the Oils gig in Sydney on Thursday. It’s hard to think of anyone who did more for Australian music than Michael. Vale.” Albanese’s colleague Tony Burke MP, Shadow Minister For Industrial Relations and Shadow Minister For The Arts, remarked that Gudinski “was one of the most important and formidable figures in the history of Australia...
How Mushroom Group’s Michael Gudinski Pivoted and Built New Channels During the Pandemic
Michael Gudinski always has something extra up his sleeve. When the 360-degree company became a fashionable term, Gudinski had his own spin. Mushroom Group, his independent music empire, was a “365” company, reflecting the number of days it operated in a regular year. Launched in 1973, Mushroom Group today spans more than two-dozen companies and brands from Frontier Touring, one of the world’s leading independent promoters, to The Harbour Agency, labels I Oh You, Liberation and Bloodlines, Mushroom Music Publishing, neighboring rights operation Good Neighbour, and the new addition, Reclusive Records. The pandemic has caused income to dry up for so many entertainment companies, particularly those exposed to concerts and touring. Mushroom Group is built on a bedrock of live music. Gudi...
‘Music From The Home Front’ All-Star Album Beats Bob Dylan to Australian Chart Crown
It took something special to keep Bob Dylan’s comeback album from the crest of Australia’s albums chart. Music From The Home Front (Bloodlines/Universal) is something special. The companion album to Michael Gudinski’s all-star virtual concert blasts to No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart, and becomes the ninth homegrown album to hit the summit in 2020. Music From The Home Front was broadcast on free-to-air Channel 9 on ANZAC Day, April 25, featuring performances from the likes of Tones And I, Kevin Parker, Vance Joy, Delta Goodrem, Dean Lewis, Crowded House and Jimmy Barnes. “I’m humbled and proud to receive this No. 1 award from ARIA on behalf of all the incredible artists who stepped up at the eleventh hour and delivered for ‘Music From The Home Front’, ‘Support Act’, ‘the RSL’ and all ...
