Michael McMartin
{{Short description|Canadian-Australian music manager (1945–2024)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Use Australian English|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Michael McMartin
| honorific_suffix = OAM
| image = Michael McMartin.jpg
| birth_name = Michael Arthur McMartin
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1945|3|12|df=y}}
| birth_place = British Columbia, Canada
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2024|3|31|1945|3|12|df=y}}
| death_place = Berry, New South Wales, Australia
| nationality = Canadian, Australian
| alma_mater = Loyola College, Montreal
| occupation = Music manager, music businessman
| years_active = {{Circa}} 1970s–2024
| spouse = Saskia McMartin
| children = 1
| awards = APRA Music Award (2007)
| honours = Medal of The Order of Australia
(2015)
}}
Michael Arthur McMartin OAM (12 March 1945 – 31 March 2024) was a Canadian-Australian music manager and businessman.
Early life and education
Michael Arthur McMartin{{Cite web |title=Artists recognised in Queen's Birthday Honours |url=https://limelight-arts.com.au/news/artists-recognised-in-queens-birthday-honours/ |access-date=2 April 2024 |website=Limelight |language=}} was born on Vancouver Island on 12 March 1945. McMartin graduated from Loyola College in Montreal, majoring in political science. He relocated to Australia in 1971.{{Cite web |date=2 April 2024 |title=Michael McMartin, Celebrated Artist Manager, Dies at 79 |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/michael-mcmartin-hoodoo-gurus-artist-manager-dies-79-1235645908/ |access-date=2 April 2024 |website=Billboard}}
Career
A few years after relocating to Australia, McMartin co-founded Trafalgar Records with Charles Fisher, a studio that signed artists and bands including Radio Birdman, Robyn Archer, 1927 and Gyan Evans.
In 1985, McMartin founded Melody Management, whose first client was the Hoodoo Gurus. McMartin was the manager of the band until stepping down in February 2024 due to health issues.
McMartin was a founding member of the Australian Music Managers Forum. He served as chairman and then executive director of the International Music Managers Forum. McMartin was a board member of the Support Act, a music industry charity, for 19 years, from 1997 to 2016.{{Cite web |title=About Support Act |url=https://supportact.org.au/about-support-act/ |access-date=2 April 2024 |website=Support Act |language=}} McMartin was a lifetime member of Australian Music Managers Forum and a patron of the Association of Australian Artist Managers. He was a member of LEADR, a mediation association.{{Cite web |title=The Backing Group {{!}} » About The Backing Group |url=https://www.thebackinggroup.com/about-us/ |access-date=2 April 2024 |website=www.thebackinggroup.com}} n.b. Hoodoo Gurus were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2007 not 2009 and does not include their talent manager per criterion 3: "Membership into the ARIA Hall of Fame is reserved exclusively for the creators of recorded music - the writers, the recording artists, and in some cases, the producers;"
McMartin received the APRA Ted Albert Award in 2007 and the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2015.{{Cite web |last=Brandle |first=Lars |date=1 April 2024 |title=Michael McMartin, Artist Management Great, Dies at 79 |url=https://themusicnetwork.com/michael-mcmartin-hoodoo-gurus-artist-manager-dies/ |access-date=2 April 2024 |website=The Music Network}} His long-term clients Hoodoo Gurus were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2007.{{cite news|title=ARIA Presents the 2007 ARIA Hall of Fame |date=6 May 2007 |publisher=APRA AMCOS |url=http://www.apra.com.au/news/industry/news/070507_ARIA-HallofFame.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080408183106/http://www.apra.com.au/news/industry/news/070507_ARIA-HallofFame.pdf |archive-date=8 April 2008 |df=dmy |access-date=16 April 2024 }} n.b. McMartin, as a talent manager, was not eligible for induction in the ARIA Hall of Fame.
Personal life and death
McMartin resided in Cambewarra, New South Wales as of 2015.{{Cite web |last=Warden |first=Hayley |date=7 June 2015 |title=OAM is music to Michael McMartin's ears |url=https://www.southcoastregister.com.au/story/3131552/oam-is-music-to-michael-mcmartins-ears/ |access-date=2 April 2024 |website=Illawarra Mercury |language=}} He was married to Saskia and had a son.
McMartin died at a hospital in Berry, New South Wales on 31 March 2024, 19 days after his 79th birthday, after having suffered from cancer.{{Cite web |last=Green |first=Stephen |title=Industry Legend Michael McMartin Passes Away |url=https://themusic.com.au/industry/industry-legend-michael-mcmartin-passes-away/B_G1GxodHB8/01-04-24 |access-date=2 April 2024 |website=The Music }}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Discogs artist|1823731}}
- {{AllMusic|id=mn0002460141}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McMartin, Michael}}
Category:People from Vancouver Island
Category:Loyola College (Montreal) alumni
Category:Canadian emigrants to Australia
Category:Canadian music managers
Category:Deaths from cancer in New South Wales