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Tony Wilson died last week. Wilson was an English television personality who was a major player in the "Madchester" music scene in the 1970's and 80's. His adventures in that scene were documented in the movie 24 Hour Party People, in which he is played by Steve Coogan. Wilson himself played a bit part in the movie as a television studio technician.

Wilson hosted a program called So It Goes on Manchester-based Granada Television. After seeing the Sex Pistols at their influential show (audience members included Morrissey and Pete Shelley) at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in Manchester, he booked them for an appearance on his program. He went on to book other punk and new wave bands. After losing his program, he founded Factory records, the home of Joy Division, New Order and Happy Mondays (as well as Orchestral Manouevers in the Dark, but the relationship was thankfully short). He also founded a club called the Hacienda. Because of financial difficulties, he booked fewer and fewer bands and more DJ's, and inadventently invented rave culture.

(An appearance by Joy Division on his program can be found here.)

Wilson wore his hair long, which made him a "bleedin' hippie" by punk standards of the day, and also peppered his television appearances with bizarre smart alecky references. Over the last year or so, as his health deteriorated, the bands he helped make famous raised money to pay for the drugs that were being used to treat his cancer (the cost of which was not covered by the British National Health Service).

A quick perusal of YouTube videos shows a bunch of clips and tributes from admirers. BBC's Newsnight tribute is here (which shows late interviews with tony Tony who, despite illness, is in full flower. Part Two here) You can find a clip of Wilson trying to upstage the founder of ZTT Records here (that's Peter Hook next to him), another of him introducing a reunited Happy Mondays at Coachella a couple of months ago here, an interview-turned-argument with Sonic Youth here, introducing the Fall in a program called The Other Side of Midnight here. Even better, this clip is a documentary about Wilson and Factory records, which features interviews with Wilson.


Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.