VALE MICHAEL GUDINSKI

Michael Gudinski was one of the most important and formidable figures in the history of Australian music.

You simply cannot tell the story of Australian music without Michael Gudinski squarely in the centre of it.

For nearly 50 years, he was a passionate and relentless advocate for the local music industry and the artists that make it great.

When he started in show business in his teens, Australian music was a cottage industry. He was instrumental in turning it into a powerhouse, earning him the title "the father of the Australian music industry".

From Mushroom Records to Frontier Touring, he was a brilliant, pioneering businessman - but he never lost his passion for the music itself.

From The Skyhooks to Eskimo Joe, Kylie Minogue to Amy Shark, Michael brought us some of our favourite artists. He had an eye for talent that spanned genres and generations.

He made sure our nation had its own soundtrack. That our stories were sung here in Australia and throughout the world.

He was an advocate for women in the music industry and he was at the forefront of promoting First Nations artists, like Yothu Yindi.

When the pandemic hit last year, plunging the music industry into an unprecedented crisis, he helped create The Sound and State of Music to keep musicians in front of audiences. To the very end he was working to keep musicians in work.

The son of Jewish Russian immigrants, he was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2006 - and won more industry awards and accolades than it's possible to mention here.

He was a larger-than-life personality and one of Australia's great larrikins.

I counted Michael as a friend.

Many of Labor's policies on live music at the last election were driven by the conversations I had with him over many years.

Vale Michael Gudinski. You'll be missed.

TUESDAY, 2 MARCH 2021