Tony Wilson, RIP

Paul Morley's obit from The Guardian:

"If you lived in the north-west at any time after 1973, it was impossible to ignore the indefatigable broadcaster, music mogul, social activist, proud northerner, football fan, writer and exhibitionist Tony Wilson, who has died aged 57 of a heart attack after being diagnosed with cancer earlier this year. For years, he was known as plain Tony Wilson, both as an extremely opinionated, populist Granada television presenter and as an idiosyncratic Manchester music impresario who dedicated his life to making the city internationally famous for its music, nightlife and pop culture. From the moment he appeared on television, and especially after he combined his daily Granada duties with his antics as self-appointed ringleader of the Manchester music business, he was someone you loved, or hated, or loved and hated at the same time...

continued

related: One of the many amusing contretemps provoked by Tony Wilson occured when he, along with actor Keith Allen, and Happy Monday's manager Nathan McGough, hosted a panel at the 1990 New York New Music Seminar. Here's the story:

Wake Up America, You're Dead!
by Steve Sutherland

'Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the New Music Seminar. The rest of the shit going on in the rest of this building is the Old Music Seminar. This is the New Music Seminar.'

Tony Wilson, TV host, club owner, entrepreneur, pauses for dramatic effect. The Brits in the audience smile. Some applaud. We scent a wind-up. The Americans, congregated this Monday lunchtime in the Astor Room of New York's Marriott Marquis, are silent...

continued

update: a good overview of his life and career from The Times