Australian music legend Michael Gudinski has died, aged 68. He passed away peacefully in his sleep at home in Melbourne on Monday night.
The co-founder of Mushroom Records and the chairman of the sprawling Mushroom Group of Companies that it spawned, Gudinski got his start in the music business as a dancehall promoter in his teens. Legend has it that in 1967, aged just 15, he was making $500 a week booking bands including The Aztecs and Chain. With cash flow like that, it was little wonder he dropped out of high school in his final year to go into the business full time.
After founding Mushroom Records with Ray Evans in 1972, Gudinski, the son of Russian-Jewish immigrants, rose to become one of the most significant and powerful players in the local music scene.
He was a label boss, live music promoter, promoter of electronic dance music, music publisher, film and television producer, racehorse owner – winning, as part of a syndicate, two Melbourne Cups, with Almandin in 2016 and Rekindling in 2017 – and passionate supporter of the St Kilda Football Club.
Above all, though, he was a high-profile advocate for Australian music. Gudinski worked tirelessly during the pandemic to make the case for support of the live music industry. He partnered with the Victorian state government on a number of initiatives designed to create opportunities for musicians to play live, either virtually or in person, in the face of the shutdowns that devastated the sector in 2020.
Music promoter Michael Gudinski had died suddenly at 68. Credit:Simon Schluter
On Anzac Day 2020, the Mushroom-curated Music From the Home Front screened nationally on Nine (owner of this masthead). Featuring performances from more than 50 Australian and New Zealand artists, it reached more than 2 million viewers across two screenings. A spin-off album topped the ARIA charts, with all proceeds going to music industry charity Support Act.
In partnership with the government, Mushroom created the streamed performance and chat format The State of Music, and in July the Mushroom-curated TV series The Sound debuted on the ABC. In January 2021, Mushroom and the Victorian government once again joined forces to take live music back to the regions in the Sounds Better Together concert series.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said Gudinski was “a wonderful Victorian, a great Australian, a very good friend of mine. And so, to his kids, and everybody who loved him, and by extension everybody who loves the fact that we are the live music capital of our nation, we send our love and support. And we think of him kindly and fondly.
“I will have more to say about how we celebrate his life soon. It is custom for me to have a conversation with next of kin before I would make that public, and I’ve tried to ring [Gudisnki’s wife] Sue but obviously she’s very busy.”
Musician Jimmy Barnes greeted the news of Gudinski’s passing with shock and sadness.
“Today the heart of Australian music was ripped out,” said Barnes. “Michael Gudinski was not only that heart but he was my friend. He stood with me through my darkest moments and my most joyous days.
Michael Gudinski with Jimmy Barnes in Sydney in 2013. Credit:Dallas Kilponen
“But I wasn’t the only one who felt like Michael was there for me. He was there for everyone that needed him. The music business turned, grew and moved forward in Australia because of Michael. He was a force of nature, a giant of a man. His boundless enthusiasm breathed life into our music scene.”
A number of high-profile Australians, including Russell Crowe and Marcia Hines, paid tribute to Gudinski on social media.
“RIP Michael Gudinski. Seems almost impossible,” wrote Crowe. “A towering figure on the Australian cultural landscape. I’m not sure we ever agreed on anything, except maybe Ed Sheeran. Still didn’t stop us from being mates for 30 years. I’m going to miss him deeply. My love to his family.”
Labor leader Anthony Albanese said he was with Gudinski just last week, at a Midnight Oil concert in Enmore, Sydney, and that it was “hard to think of anyone who did more for Australian music than Michael”.
Hines said she was in a state of shock.
“He was a true pioneer in the music industry and a man who believed in the development of artists like myself and many others,” she said. “His friendship knew no bounds. He was a genuine original, and not replaceable.”
Gudinski is survived by his wife Sue, son Matt and partner Cara, daughter Kate and husband Andrew and their children Nina-Rose and Lulu.
Additional reporting by Martin Boulton.
Karl Quinn is a senior culture writer at The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.
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2021-03-02 01:38:28Z
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