that's a shame. Arrogant. Annoying. Bloody genius, without him Manchester would not be half the vibrant place it is now. Unfortunately I'll always remember him for the Peter Hook quote in re: 24 Hour Party People where he was played by Steve Coogan. 'The biggest c#nt in Manchester played by the second biggest c#nt in Manchester.'
My doctor passed away this week, she suffered the same illness. Lovely lady, Dr Kh Mehta, 50, a great loss.
He was a few years ahead of me at my school. When he first became a public figure as a Granada TV journalist, a lot of people thought he got a bit big for his boots (but that sort of job would probably go to any young man's head) and he famously got a pint of beer upended over his head at the old boy's club. But when you look at the tributes he obviously had some decent qualities. As a Manc I think that his biggest achievement was to show that London is anything but the be all and end all.
Hope that's not a self-written obituary! Must admit, I've never heard of him, but coming from the soft south and having lived most of my adult life abroad, it's not surprising. Plus I'm an old git and probably wouldn't know the bands he's been behind!
It amused me when he tried to change from being 'Tony Wilson' to 'Anthony H Wilson'. But yes, seriously influential and with tremendous energy to have fingers so successfully in so many pies at the same time. Enthusiast and entrepreneur. What intrigues me though is that when the NHS refused to pay for his drug treatment, a fund had to be set-up and members of bands he'd managed contributed to it - I'd assumed he was a seriously-affluent businessman and could easily have afforded it himself : was this not the case and he actually wasn't that well-off himself, or had he fallen on hard times ?
He did a lot for manchester and music, generally. Just imagine a world without New Order, Joy Division, Happy Mondays, etc.... Rest well, Tony.
That was one of the odd things about Tony Wilson, he really didn't make any money. New Order's 'Blue Monday' was (and still is) the best selling 12" single ever - yet they lost money on every copy because the artwork and printing were so expensive. The Hacienda never made money because punters weren't drinking alcohol (it doesn't mix well with E). A friend of a friend knew him - he clearly had his faults, but the world is a poorer place for his passing. RIP.
Have to admit that the whole Manc scene and the bands it spurned left me cold, BUT love him or hate him he achieved much, did it in his own style and left a great legacy. In these days of corporate giants in the muzak industry the world needs more Tony Wilsons. Sad day indeed for music lovers.
i for one will always remember him as the real "mr manchester". can't say that i ever went to "the hass" (in fact made a point of no doing so) but the bands he brought through with the ethos they had are something that sadly we may not see the like of again. i will think of him and ian curtis when i look out my bedroom window now (you can see where ian lived and died from there).
Being an old git I have always lived in that world. Just amazes me what one learns on here. So my commiserations to you all on your loss.
