'He Will Always Be The Biggest Name In Australian Music': A Tribute To Michael Gudinski

I can’t believe I won’t hear that loud clap again.

When MG walked into a room, everyone took notice. The sound of the clapping would be heard prior to his entrance. His voice would be booming, yelling the name of the band he had just signed, the tour that was just announced or just the excitement that the Saints were back in town. He was, is, and will always be the biggest name in Australian music.

For me though, he was something different. He was a friend, a mentor and the person that inspired me to where I am. You see, he didn’t have perfect spelling, he was no tech genius - he understood people and was passionate about them. He was an ideas man and had one after the other, but knew to surround himself with great people that would follow through, so he could go onto the next idea. He made those around him better by being the biggest cheerleader they would ever have. He taught me that it’s not what you can’t do, it’s what you can - and then find people who can do the things you can't.

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I still remember the call at some frightful hour after Kylie did Glastonbury, with him just screaming down the phone how bloody good she was and then hanging up so he could ring the next person, because he wanted all of Australia to know what she had just done. He wanted everyone to share in the joy of the big moments.

He showed me that you don’t have to be conventional, you just have to be bloody passionate and love what you do - and boy did he love what he did. I will bloody miss the texts after the Doggies get a win, I will miss the texts after he gets a number one, but most of all I will miss the sound of that clap as he walked in a room.

MG, it won’t be the bloody same without you.