Geelong Advertiser

Rememberin­g a music icon and lifelong friend

- MOLLY MELDRUM

Ian “Molly” Meldrum has paid tribute to his best friend, the late Michael Gudinski. While Meldrum has refused all media requests, he released a statement that taps into their 50-year friendship which began in the late 1960s and grew strong when Meldrum was running Countdown and Gudinski had started Mushroom Records.

I AM unable to translate into words what I am feeling right now. Not only have we lost an icon who was the cornerston­e of the Australian music industry, I have lost a best friend, a brother.

Michael and Sue are family to me. They have been a staple in my life forever.

Right now, my love, support and focus are with Sue, Matt, Kate and the grandchild­ren. The void that is felt is immeasurab­le; I honestly find his passing very difficult to comprehend.

Michael and I have been friends for over 50 years and the deep respect we had for each other was profound. He was a huge influence in my life. Like me, Michael’s passion for music was unwavering.

He dreamed big, worked hard, and had the tenacity, energy, and determinat­ion to drive all his ambitions home. Failure was never part of his vocabulary.

He helped place Australian music on the world map. He not only guided aspiring artists into unfathomab­le stardom, but he also brought the world’s biggest artists to the Australian stage. He was the life force behind live music.

He was unstoppabl­e. Music was the base and core of our friendship. We are both stubborn as hell and we would often laugh as we traded a tirade of insults to each other.

I challenged him and he challenged me and, as I have said many times before, Michael and I have had more dramas than Shakespear­e and more laughs than Seinfeld. We really were like Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon in Grumpy Old Men. From allowing Ziggy to give him kisses and licks whenever he was in sight, to putting up with my antics on a daily basis, Michael was a great friend. My most recent and now treasured memory was spending Christmas Day last year with the Gudinskis. We had an incredible day and, believe it or not, Michael and I did not disagree or argue once for the nine hours we were together! Michael’s legacy will echo through the entertainm­ent industry forever. He came and he conquered. He has left a giant footprint in the heart and soul of the music industry.

If there was a song that could sum up how I am feeling, it would have to be the Bee Gees’ 1971 hit, How Can You Mend A Broken Heart? He will forever be missed.

HE DREAMED BIG, WORKED HARD, AND HAD THE TENACITY, ENERGY, AND DETERMINAT­ION TO DRIVE ALL HIS AMBITIONS HOME. FAILURE WAS NEVER PART OF HIS VOCABULARY.

 ??  ?? Michael Gudinski and Molly Meldrum with the cast of the Countdown Spectacula­r.
Michael Gudinski and Molly Meldrum with the cast of the Countdown Spectacula­r.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Australia