Michael Gudinksi dies at 68: Springsteen, Foo Fighters, Kylie Minogue mourn the music mogul

One of the most important figures in Australian pop music, Michael Solomon Gudinski, has suddenly passed away at the age of 68. He headed the Mushroom Records label, signing stars like Kylie Minogue - here on the photo with Gudinski and her sister Danni. He also brought international stars to the continent, including Taylor Swift, the Rolling Stones, and the Police.

Michael Gudinski was among the biggest producers and tour promoters in Australia. Several media, including MusicWeek and The Guardian, refer to him as the 'godfather of Australian music.' In addition, Pollstar ranked his company Frontier as "among the top three promoters in the world," according to Music Network.

The music mogul of Australia started out as a promoter of dance hall events in his native town of Melbourne. In 1972, he started a record label with Ray Evans. The label, Mushroom Records, struggled for years before it became profitable. Bands like Skyhooks and Split Enz brought in the necessary funds to keep going.

The success of New Zealand band Split Enz (with the talented brothers Neil and Tim Finn) was a boost for the record label. The Music Network recalls that "each time, one act – whether Skyhooks, Kylie Minogue, Split Enz or Jimmy Barnes – would come up with blockbusters that kept the label afloat, so he could sign more alternative acts."

With several generations of performers on his label, including Kylie Minogue, Evermore, and Eskimo Joe, as well as his successful music venue Bombay Rock in Melbourne and his thriving tour promotion company Frontier, Michael Gudinski became one of the richest and most lauded persons in the Australian music industry. In 2006 he even became a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia.

Until the night he suddenly died in his sleep, Gudinski had continuously worked in the management of music events. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic he organized concerts, letting Australian musicians perform online in 'The State of Music' to compensate for their losses in the lockdown.

Rock singer Jimmy Barnes expressed the devastation that many Australian musicians felt when they heard about Michael Gudinski's death. "Today the heart of Australian music was ripped out," he tweeted. "I felt it, my family felt it, the music business felt it, the world felt it. Michael Gudinski was not only that heart but he was my friend."

Michael Gudinski wasn't a local celebrity. Stars from around the world knew him and considered him a great professional as well as a friend. One example is Bruce Springsteen, for whom he managed the Australian tours.

Springsteen called him "first, last, and always a music man." In his long statement, he described how "Michael always spoke with a deep rumbling voice, and the words would spill out so fast that half the time I needed an interpreter. But I could hear him clear as a bell when he would say, 'Bruce, I've got you covered.' And he always did."

The Boss continues his tribute to Michael Gudinski by recalling that he was "loud, always in motion, intentionally (and unintentionally) hilarious, and deeply soulful. He will be remembered by artists, including this one, from all over the world every time they step foot on Australian soil."

One beloved star of Mushroom Records was Kylie Minogue. She broke through with her cover of 'The Locomotion' in 1987 and continued her road to fame when the Mushroom staff introduced her to the English producers Stock, Aitken & Waterman. Remember the song 'I Should Be So Lucky'?

Upon hearing about his death, Kylie Minogue immediately posted a tweet to commemorate 'The Big G.' She wrote: "Legend. Legacy. LOVE. 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."

Another close friend and colleague of Michael Gudinski is Ed Sheeran. Frontier Touring organized a record-breaking Australasian tour for the English singer in 2018, MusicWeek reported. "As well as being the highest-selling tour in Australasian music history (total attendance 1,040,000), Sheeran played the biggest number of stadium shows in Australasia in one tour."

Ed Sheeran doesn't post a whole lot on his Instagram account @teddysphotos. But when Michael Gudinski died, he added this picture to his timeline, saying "I'll miss you mate."

The American rock band Foo Fighters also has fond memories of Michael Gudinski. "Thank you," they say in a tweet, "for giving us and countless others the best night of our lives. Over and over again."

Calling the Australian music hero a "legend," they conclude that they "will miss you dearly. Rock & Roll will miss you deeply."

In the Australian / New Zealand entertainment industry, actors and singers alike know Michael Gudinski. To Oscar winner Russell Crowe it seems "almost impossible" that the music mogul has died. He calls Gudinski "a towering figure on the Australian cultural landscape."

Russell Crowe, currently 56 years old, remembers his friend like this: "I'm not sure we ever agreed on anything, except maybe Ed Sheeran" -  they both liked the singer. Still, all the other disagreements "didn't stop us from being mates for 30 years. I'm going to miss him deeply. My love to his family."

The musicians Gudinski worked with, often mention his wife Sue or his entire family in their tributes. That's because the tour promoter was a family man who brought his wife and children to his work. Stars from Bruce Springsteen to Ed Sheeran and Troy Cassar-Daley knew Sue Gudinski personally.

"Our hearts are heavy today in our house after hearing of Michael Gudinski's passing," country musician Troy Cassar Daley tweets. He calls Gudinski "a complete one off who lead with passion and dragged us all along for the musical rides he so often dreamed up." With sadness he concludes his message: "Sending love to Sue and his family, I can't believe He's gone RIP brother MG xx"

American singer-songwriter Billy Joel - aka The Piano Man - also knew Gudinski's wife. As he remembers the "primary promoter of many of the concerts we performed in Australia and in New Zealand," he sends his "deepest sympathies to his wonderful wife, Sue."

Billy Joel is highly respectful of the late tour promoter and says he is "very sad to hear of [his] death. ... He was a joy to work with an a great supporter of all things Oz. He will be very much missed."

When Garbage toured Australia, they made a great friend in Michael Gudinski. He showed them the beauty of his beloved country and gave them a great time before and after their concerts.

Above a clearly nutty photo of Gudinski they write: "Rock on you f*****g freak. We love you so much... Going to miss you like a limb. You were the best. The last of your kind." After sending condolences to his family, coworkers, and country, they add: "Love you forever."

ABC host Michael Rowland posted what may have been the last photo of Michael Gudinski. "This was backstage after the Oils gig in Sydney on Thursday night" (Midnight Oil, February 25). Rowland says he's "devastated by Gudinski's sudden death" and that he was "a true champion of Australian music and the ABC."

"Michael was his typical boisterous, funny self. He was always so full of life," Rowland continues. "Rest in Peace, friend."

Gudinski is survived by his wife Sue, his son Matt, his daughter Kate Alexa (whom he signed for his record label Liberation Music), and two grandchildren.