Remembering Michael Gudinski | Music News

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.

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.

TMN understands he passed away overnight Monday, just weeks before he was to announce a major project with the Victorian Government to bolster the state’s music industry.

Talking of his passion for Australian music, he once said: “The talent was always here but the industry was a cottage industry.

“It was very frustrating because, at the time, Australians always thought anything that came from overseas – whether it was music, cars or fashion designs – was better.”

Gudinski was a pioneer in many ways, including the number of women he employed in senior roles, or signing First Nations acts before they were accepted by the wider music community.

Last year when the live industry shuttered, within a weekend, Gudinski moved his operations to create TV shows The Sound and State Of Play, to keep local live acts in front of audiences.

In 2006 he was made a Member of the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Music industry accolades included an ARIA Award for Special Achievement (1992), APRA’s Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music (1998), the inaugural ARIA Industry Icon (2013) and being inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Music Victoria Awards of 2013.

Foxtel will screen Michael Gudinski – My Story on Tuesday, March 23, the day before the Victorian state memorial service for the music industry great.

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Homebrewed is a radio program and podcast dedicated to supporting the Australian Music Industry. Cameron Smith and Eamonn Snow have been presenting Homebrewed since November 2017 and have received excellence awards and the admiration of local bands for their presentation of Homebrewed and their continued support of the Australian music scene. This podcast is designed so you can enjoy conversations with musicians, industry representatives and music media personalities.