Jim Aiken
Ian Copeland

Lesley Keith

Erik Thomsen

Jean Eavis

Franco Mamone

Nikos Sachpasidis

Howard Sinclare

Jim Aiken

After a career in live music spanning four decades, Northern Ireland entertainment promoter Jim Aiken died on February 27th 2007, following a short illness.

Jim grew up in Jonesboro, County Armagh, and started work as a teacher of physics and maths at Harding Street School in Belfast. When younger Jim represented his county at senior level in Gaelic football and had a lifelong interest in horse racing and rugby.
He left teaching in 1965 when his work promoting bands began to take off, travelling the world to pursuade bands to play in Northern Ireland. Those that heeded the call included Elton John, Cliff Richard, Luciano Pavarotti and Garth Brooks. Jim is well known for the series of concerts at the Stormont Castle which included The Eagles and Rod Stewart.

The Aiken family said he died peacefully at home, and added in a brief statement, that they would like to extend their thanks to all those who had lent their support and sent kind wishes.

Jim is survived by his wife of 47 years, Anne, son Peter and daughters Claire, Susan, Cathy and Joan and 11 grandchildren.

Martin Hopewell

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Ian Copeland
1949 – 2006

Ian Copeland died on May 23rd, 2006, after a long illness. He was 57 and leaves behind a wife and two children.

Ian was one of the best-loved and most charismatic figures in the agency world during the past 35 years, and a great friend to the ILMC during its early years. He and I started out in the UK agency business around the same time. Out of all the people I've met in the industry since, he was one of my favourite characters - in spite of the fact that he was always much better at the job than me, more good looking and far richer... I hadn't seen him for ages (last time was a few years ago in London at the ILMC conference when he was thrashing me at table football, and I kept him up all night until I'd drawn level) but it leaves a hole to know that he's not with us anymore.

We're all going to miss you, dude. In a big way.

Martin Hopewell

* www.news.yahoo.com
* www.billboard.com
* www.hollywoodreporter.com
* www.pollstar.com
* encore.celebrityaccess.com

Friends might like to know that messages have been left at his website:

* www.backstagecafe.com

Memorial Service
A memorial servicec took place on Tuesday, May 30th, 2007 at Westwood Village Memorial Park
in Los Angeles.

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Ian Copeland - In His Own Words
"Success to the Copelands was not so much the money, but being part of the process of building new acts, new systems, and in essence, promoting transformation in the entertainment business. Noting that doors were usually closed to newcomers in the industry, we decided to stop beating on them and create new ones, resulting in IRS Records, IRS Media, and FBI Agency, among others. Another component of the Copeland philosophy was to shun the master plan, because we felt it defeated the vital spontaneity required for constructive diversification in the entertainment business.

Taking risks seems to have been an essential ingredient in all of our successes. This can be said of most people I know who are successful. Nothing ventured, nothing gained and all that. But even when we've had success we've continued to take chances, looking for new challenges. To me, challenge is the essence of life.

As far as what the future may hold I store for me, I'm sure it's anyone's guess. Like the game Snakes and Ladders I played as a child in Cairo, you have to roll the dice and make your move, then you have to live with where you land and make the most of it. Memories also, have a reason, and when you need them most, the sights and sounds are there, like old friends. They remind you not to take yourself so seriously, that no matter how good or bad things are, there was a time that they were better. And worse. And I guess what's true for yesterday will be true for tomorrow. In fact, I'm betting on it."


Tribute from Sting
"Ian Copeland was both my friend and my booking agent for most of my career.
He lived his life with the easy going, relaxed philosophy of a man who'd been under fire and survived, as if the violence that he'd witnessed and taken part in during his service in Viet Nam had given him a broader perspective on the important things of life. He was not driven by any grandiose ambitions, or the impossible demands of an overblown ego. He was self possessed and confident enough to take genuine pleasure in the worldly success of those close to him without taking any of it too seriously. Very little seemed to phase him, his agreeable humor became a constant that could be relied on as a counter to the often hysterical absurdities of a music business in constant flux and turmoil.

I would seek out the pleasure of his company, marvel at his dry wit, and listen raptly to his self deprecating, humorous and often terrifying stories. He was a brave man to the end, a great father and mentor, an inspiration to all of those who worked with him, 'Leroy' was the life and soul of any party. The world is a darker place now that he's gone. We shall miss him terribly."

Sting

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Lesley Keith

The ILMC lost a valued team-member in April, with the tragic death of Lesley Keith, Guest Relations Manager at the Royal Garden Hotel for the past 5 years. We also lost a good friend.
Many of you will have met Lesley during your stays at the Royal Garden. Those of you who didn't really missed out.

Lesley was special - and her gift was that she made you feel special. With a genuine and generous heart and a warm, larger-than-life personality, she was one of a select group of people at the Royal Garden who not only make running the ILMC possible, but also make it fun. There will be no way to replace her, and we will all miss her very much.

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Erik Thomsen

The live music industry lost another of its major figures, with the sad death of Erik Thomsen on May 20th,2006.

Erik was not only one of the originators of concert promoting in Scandinavia, he was also one of the great characters that make this business what it is. He was a great supporter of the ILMC since the earliest days, and his passing will leave a gap in the conference that will be hard to fill.

Our deepest sympathies go to Erik's family, his colleagues - and all those around the world who were lucky enough to know him as a friend.

Erik Thomsen - Obituary
Throughout 40 years Erik Thomsen was one of those who made the rock roll.

And even though he looked upon the professionalism of the concert industry with a little sadness, Erik, with his background in shipping, understood the balance between true love for the music on one hand and on the other maintaining the hard but necessary approach to the industry.

The young Thomsen committed himself so much to the genre of hard rock that he never managed to let go, and luckily, he would say himself. He started up small pop clubs all over Denmark, an early activity related to concert promotion, which became the beginning of his career in the trade of music business.

In 1965 he met Arne Worsoe and together they started Bendix Music that quickly gave already well-established concert agencies hard competition.

Actually they were quite an odd couple, Worsoe and Thomsen. Worsoe looking out for the money, Thomsen taking care of the art. Hardly spoken, but it worked, and even though their collaboration had ups and downs, at times it even seemed like war, they always reconciled because it was only together they really were complete.

And besides, there is no doubt that Worsoe learned Thomsen that partying all night long at one and another rock party just wasn't good enough; the everyday life at the office was what made the business succeed.

Thomsen liked the hard rock and heavy music and developed personal relations with many big names within the music industry, from Led Zeppelin to Deep Purple, and arranged concerts with them in his home country while it was still possible economically. He liked what he sold/promoted and listened to the music at home as well. Not an untrustworthy starting point for a sales man. And his network within this part of the music gave him a position in the business a lot of people less humble would have difficulties in handling.

The great names in heavy and rock and their managers liked to make practical jokes with Thomsen. He responded to it nicely - and eventually as an honour. A legendary moment was when he, during a concert in Paris, was hung up in a string in front of the audience while guitarist Ritchie Blackmore accompanied. A moment in his career, that for Thomsen was just as big as when he in 1997 secured the signature of Michael Jackson for two completely sold out concerts in Parken, Copenhagen.

When Erik got sick in August last year, it soon became clear that someone else had to take over his business. It was decided that his assistant through the last 3 years, Pernille Moller Pedersen was the right person to do that, as Pernille had a very strong relationship with Erik both personally and in business, and also had a very good relationship with the agents that Erik worked with and the local promoters all over Scandinavia and in The Baltics.

Pernille took over as head of ET around new years with great support from the company staff and Arne and Kim Worsoe from ICO. It is Pernille's goal to work very hard to carry on and continue what Erik spend his whole life building and hopefully make him proud. On that note it is great to see that ET Concert Promotion is growing and is stronger and promoting more shows than ever (BB King, Bryan Adams, Status Quo, Deep Purple, Beach Boys and many more...)

Erik Thomsen leaves behind a wife and two children.
ET CONCERT PROMOTIONS

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Jean Eavis
11th May 1939 - 16th May 1999

Jean passed away on Sunday morning. A melanoma which appeared in her shoulder eight years ago had developed secondaries which moved into her spine. During the last two months when the seriousness of her illness became apparent I have been with her constantly, and she was exceptionally brave and did not suffer.

I am thankful for more than 30 years I have spent with my beautiful and loving wife. A wonderful mother and a great lover, she became the cornerstone of the festival, offering not only unwavering support, but a determination to do things properly. It is this determination which has seen the Glastonbury Festival develop into the unique event it is today. I hope those who come will join with me in celebrating a life so well lived and loved at Glastonbury Festival 1999 as a tribute to Jean. There can be no greater tribute.

The funeral service was held on Saturday 22nd May at the Methodist Chapel in Pilton, Somerset, UK.

Michael Eavis
17th May 1999

Reproduced with permission from the Glastonbury Festival Website

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Franco Mamone
1941-1998

Franco Mamone - one of the originators of concert promoting in Italy and perhaps the leading figure in that market throughout the last three decades - died in Milan on July 3rd.

Franco was 57 years old and left a wife, Elsa, and two daughters. He will be remembered by many people for many things, and ILMC members will have happy memories of his role as one of the "Three Terrors" at the meeting this year.

We will all miss him, and the business will not be same without his enthusiasm, humour and wonderfully eccentric style.

Rest in peace, Franco.

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Live! Magazine News Feature

Italy mourns pioneer Franco Mamone

Italian promoter Franco Mamone, one of Italy's first and most influential promoters, collapsed with heart failure on Friday, June 26 1998 and was found to be dead on arrival at hospital.

He was head of promoting company Commusications and is credited with nurturing many of the top promoters working in Italy including Claudio Trotta and Roberto De Luca.

Born in '41 in Verona, Franco was the first of the modern generation of Italian rock promoters and managers. From the Seventies, he organized concerts by Bob Marley and Bruce Springsteen, but history has it that his first "office" was a public phone in a bar in Milan, from which he booked Italian beat groups into local clubs.

In the eighties some of today's top promoters worked in his office. Among the artists he brought to Italy were Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Yes, Police, Prince, Dire Straits and Eric Clapton. He also managed several top Italian prog-rock bands, including PFM, and collaborated with Cramps' record company.

At the time of his death, Franco was about to join his family on vacation in Rimini, and although the nineties hadn't been a particularly fortunate period for him, he had just organised a triumphant concert by Whitney Houston at Verona Arena.

Contacted by Live! correspondent Mike Clark, Maurizio Salvadori (founder of Trident Agency, one of Italy's largest) said: "I've a very precise opinion of Franco, as I started out in this business in his office when I was 20 and, even if we lost contact for a while, my relationship was one of admiration for a man who was definitely a pioneer in this field - this is a profession that has come into being in the last 30 years, and he was an innovator. One thing that distinguished him from the others was the creativity he managed to express in a job which, in spite of appearances, is very arid, involving the organization of events which from a technical point of view are quite repetitive. Another characteristic was the relationship he always managed to create with all the artists he worked with. If it wasn't close friendship, it was very similar. He loved his work and his passing has left a great void in the Italian scene."

Phil Banfield, a director of UK agency MPI and a long-time associate and friend of Mamone, told Live!: "I worked with him for over 25 years. I continued to work with him when he was suffering problems, even though other agents didn't. I found him unique in the way he expressed himself - even other Italians didn't always understand him. But whatever else, he was always fun to deal with."

Claudio Trotta of Barley Arts, another of Italy's key agencies, said: "Directly or indirectly, if it wasn't for Franco, most Italian promoters wouldn't be where they are now: myself, Roberto De Luca, Maurizio Salvadori, Angelo Carrara and many others worked for Franco and with him, sharing his creativity. He literally created the professional role of a rock concert promoter, was the first to use stadiums for rock concerts, the first Italian manager of an internationally-famous Italian band, PFM, and was in love with life. Generations of people learnt the trade from him: production and tour managers, staging and security companies, accountants. He wasn't perfect - none of us are - but he was truly honest and sincere. Bye bye Franco, your friend and pupil, Claudio Trotta."

The situation with Mamone's Commusications company is still up in the air. Banfield says he has had to move a Zucchero tour, planned for February 1999, to another promoter - though there will be some contribution to the Mamone family. "Obviously the family is in mourning and need time to sort out what they're going to do. Hopefully, they can continue when they find the right person to guide it," he adds.

Reporting by Fiona Harley and Mike Clark for LIVE! magazine.

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Tributes To Franco Mamone

Claudio Trotta
Barley Arts,
Milan July 6th 1998

If it wasn't for Franco, directly or indirectly most of us wouldn't be able to do our job.

Myself, Roberto de Luca, Maurizio Salvadori, Angelo Carrara and many others worked for him and with him sharing his intelligence and creativity.

He literally created the professional role of the promoter of rock concerts, he started the use of stadiums for rock shows, and he was the first Italian manager of a successful Italian act internationally - PFM. He was in love with life, able to regenerate himself through all the worst cases of life.

He taught several generations of people in the various branches of our work: production and tour management, staging companies, security companies, accountants and so on. All of them learnt the job from him.

He wasn't perfect - as none of us are - but he was truly honest and sincere.

Bye bye Franco, from your friend and scholar.

Phil Banfield
Miracle Prestige International Ltd,
London July 6th 1998

What do you say about a 57 year old Italian who you have been doing business with for 30 years - who had a unique Italian accent which confounded us all at times?

Franco, in my opinion, was the man who helped make Italy a more professional country to tour. As all agents and managers around the world know, Italy used to be a nightmare. To be honest it still can be - but nothing like it used to be.

Franco was a very creative man, and was always turning up at my office with mad ideas. He would take the concept and pursue it vigorously all the hours to make it a success. Not all of them were successful financially, but it was not due to his lack of effort and energy.

I have so many memories which would take forever to write about - and I am sure that everybody in the business has similar recollections. Franco loved music, he loved the glamour - he loved being with the bands, the crew and everybody concerned.

As well as promoting international artists he was the first person to bring attention to Italian music with the band PFM.

Franco will be deeply missed and I hope that the Italian music business remembers all the good things he did for them. Without him I doubt if Italian music would be as successful around the world as it is today.

God bless.

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Franco Mamone - Biography

Claudio Trotta
Barley Arts,
Milan July 6th 1998

Organizzatore e promoter (Verona, 1941).

Nei primianni Sessanta altro non e che un impiegato dell'Enel con una grande passione per la musica, in particolare per il rock americano (Elvis Presley, Bill Haley, ecc.) ed anche per i Beatles. Cominica as organizzare concerti pomeridiani in provincia, utilizzando i palcoscenici de quei night che la sera si riempiono di ricchi 'cumenda': passano su questi palcoscenici formazioni allora sconosclute come l'Equipe 81 (v.), I Delfini, i Dik dik (v.) I Camaleonti (v.) ecc. Poi Decide di dedicarsi integralmente a questa attivita e fissa la sua sede presso il Bar York, sito in Piazzetta Pattari; comunica con un telefono a gettoni ed in questo modo raccoglie scritture per i suoi complessi.

Sono ancora i tempi di Claudio Villa, della Pizzi, di Rascel, del Quartetto Cetra (v.), di Modugno e del giovane Dorelli (v.): l'intraprendente Mamone opera quindi, come si dice, un po'fuori dal coro', ma in questi anni si costruisce una competnza ed una rete di relazioni importanti. E su questa base che diviene, al di la del piu importante promoter italiano della nuova musica, anche il vero e proprio innovatore degli anni Settanta, come sostenne anche Gianni Sassi (v.), per un certo periodo suo socio nella casa discografica Cramps (v.).

Inventa i grandi conderti in Italia, con le rockstar dell'epoca: per contenere le folle dei giovani del dopo Sessantotto, che si accalcano ai suoi conceti, decide di far esibire i gruppi negli stadi calcistici. E cosi che arrivano in Italia i Soft Machine, i Deep Purple, i Mountain, i Pink Floyd e tutte le piu grandi figure del rock internazionale, ma anche gruppi italiani, ed in particolare dell'area milanese, come gli Area (v.), il Banco di Mutuo Soccorso, la Premiata Forneria Marconi (v.).

In Italia pero sono glia 'anni di piombo' ed il rapporto con l'utenza del rock (le fasce giovanili, in pratica) e complesso: e il perlodo delle autoriduzioni, degli assalti ai concerti, della nuova musica come bene di consumo culturale pubblico e del quale, quindi, i giovani vogliono usufruire gratuitamente.

Mamone e un organizzatore ed un imprenditore e comprende che il rinnovamento della cultura musicale, che va di pari passo con il rinnovanmento della cultura politica giovanile, va ben oltre le sue previsioni ele sue oggettive capacita di gestione. Per questo, nel 1074, abbandona l'attivita, limitandosi all promozione delle giovani formazioni musicali italiane all'estero.

Per cinque anni la sua organizzazione nazionale tace e questo e il periodo nel quale si afferma un altro grande promoter, David Zard. Riprende nel 1979, senza troppa fiducia, fors'anche scavalcato culturalmente dalla trasformazione dei circuiti del rock internazionale e dai nuovi metodi imposti dall'organizzazione culturale; malgrado questo raccoglie ancora successi e consendi, grazie ad artisti come Patti Smith, Gianna Nannini (v.), Eric Clapton, Paul Young, i Police, Joni Mitchell, Bob Marley e Dire Straits, ma anche, piu recentemente, Sting e Bruce 'the boss' Springsteen. Negli anni Ottanta la sua attivita prosegue con notevole fortuna, sempre in polemica concorrenza con David Zard: i motivi del contendere sono numerosi e spesso specificamente teenici; culturalmente Mamone, promoter di vecchia scuola, non gradisce la presenza della telev isione ai concerti, rimanendo un paladino del 'rock dal vivo', pratica che invece e largamente utilizzata dal suo concorrente.

I nomi che si susseguono nella sua programmazione sono tra i piu grandi della storia del rock di quegli anni: Alice Cooper, gli Yes, i Foreigner, Paul Simon, quando si escluda il ritorno periodico di grandi stelle come Springsteen, Prince e Sting. Conduce anche attivita discografica con diversi marchi (Cramps e Zoo), otre che di promozione e segreteria artistica (Intalent).

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Nikos Sachpasidis
1952 - 1997

To make it clear from the start, this is not going to be some sort of highly objective piece of analytical journalism. Nikos was a friend. In as much as business relationships can ever cross that barrier into emotional attachments, I loved him. This wasn't hard - in a business full of chancers and hard-nosed bastards he was one of the most loveable people I have ever met. I also know that I am far from being alone in this opinion.

Nikos died during the evening of October 25th after a long and incredibly brave fight against cancer. He was only 45 years old. He left behind a wife, Evy, a daughter, Christina - and a loyal friend and assistant, Mary Telemachou. At the time of the last ILMC he was in America on one of several trips he made there for treatment at a cancer clinic, and the conference was dedicated to him as a gesture of support.

In the cruel way that these things so often unfold, a few months ago it appeared that he had actually beaten the illness, but it soon became clear that the disease had in fact spread throughout his body and that the ending would be inevitable. News of this tragic turnabout brought an unprecedented wave of support and affection from friends and business colleagues all over the world - promoters, agents, managers and artists. Nikos was deeply moved by this, and asked me to convey his sincere thanks to everyone that he was too sick to reply to personally - but it was no more than he deserved.

He was an extraordinary man. In his business life he won the respect of everyone who dealt with him - and pretty much put Greece on the touring map as a market where there was at least one company that could deliver a service on a par with the highest standards of international concert promoting. He was fair and honest in his dealings, imaginative in his work, and passionate about his profession. For Nikos, business relationships and friendship were hardly distinguishable - he was a gentle and affectionate person who - as the saying goes - "wore his heart on his sleeve".

He cared deeply about the ILMC. He was one of the founder members and people closest to its heart. At the end of a weekend I could always get an instant impression of its success or failure by making a beeline for Nikos in the crowd - if he was smiling it had worked, if he was looking unhappy then I knew that we had serious work to do!

Because of his somewhat idiosyncratic command of the English language, his voice was not often heard in the conference sessions - with one notable exception: a brave and eloquent plea for unity and cooperation made in a nerve-wracking speech to a packed hall at the start of an ILMC at the Regent Hotel. Every year he was there - with a big hug and a bottle of Metaxas (one of which I'm digging into at the moment in order to get through this sad piece of prose).

They say that only the good die young. Nikos was a good guy and he has died way before his time with too much left to be done. He wanted everyone to learn from his own tragedy that though life is short - that every day is precious and not to be wasted on bullshit. He wanted to carry on promoting, he wanted to see Scotland, he wanted the time and health to be able to sit with his friends and enjoy a drink and a laugh. If I believed in a God who gave a damn I would pray that he's doing that now.

Rest in peace Nikos - we'll see you again soon.

Martin Hopewell

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Nikos' family have nominated a children's cancer fund "Elpida" (Hope) - his favourite charity - to receive any tributes in the form of donations. The ILMC has set up a bank account to collect the money and send it on :
"ILMC NIKOS FUNDI"
Account No 90915084
Sort Code 20-05-75
Barclays Bank Plc.,
27 Soho Square,
London W1A 4WA

A memorial service was held for Nikos Sachpasidis on Sunday, 30 November, 1997 at:
The Church Of Aghia Paraskevi
Mesogeion Avenue
Aghia Paraskevi
Athens, Greece

Nikos Sachpasidis - Biography

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Howard Sinclare

After a 15-month fight against cancer Howard Sinclare sadly passed away on Thursday, 5th November 1998.

Howard, founder of London-based Crawfords Limousine Company was well-known world-wide in the music and entertainment business. For many years Howard's name and company were synonymous with the best in personal service. If you needed something organised Howard would fix it. He will be missed by many, many people but, of course, by his dear wife, Eileen, close family, friends and colleagues, to whom I extend my thoughts and sympathy.

Howard was a character; he had an individualistic way which some people misunderstood. I knew him as a client and as a business colleague. We worked on several of the same projects and for the same clients over a number of years and, I believe, shared similar business philosophies. In our industries we are selling service; that's it, plain and simple. Look after the customer, give the best service possible and don't overlook any details. In that way Howard built up a unique place in the service industry to the music and entertainment business. However, you don't build a business like that without dedication, both yourself and from your team working with you.

Over the years Howard helped and encouraged me in different ways; in helping me believe that top quality personal service in everything would achieve results in my own business.

He always seemed a 'grafter'; he wouldn't take no for an answer - which was often difficult! But, for all that he was a tough and demanding task-master he had a heart. He wouldn't forget anyone who shared his philosophies. He was always on top of everything that was going on; he had his finger on the pulse and rarely missed anything in the music business.

Even during his illness he kept in contact. Of course, he had to take some steps back during his treatment and I feel that did give him the time he had probably denied himself to spend (at least trying) to relax! But he never seemed to complain about his illness - at least not outwardly. He appeared to be positive and, by other accounts also, was determined to fight it to the end. Whenever I spoke to him he never admitted to feeling grim, which he undoubtedly must have done much of that time. He always asked how I was, said he was "doing OK, got to get on with it". Though, I do know, those around him suffered some of the frustration he felt at not being able 'to get on with life and business'! I'm sure that must have strained some people's sympathy at times! I count myself very lucky not having known the nightmare that it must be to suddenly find yourself, or someone close, in that situation. Life is such a lottery, even in the highly privileged western society, which the music business represents probably the most visible part of. It terrifies me and as I go through life I wonder how longer my luck can continue to hold.

Howard's ran out far too early and I, for one, will miss his drive and enthusiasm to 'get things done'.

Adrian Whitmarsh

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