Michael McMartin explained

Michael McMartin
Honorific Suffix:OAM
Birth Name:Michael Arthur McMartin
Birth Date:12 March 1945
Birth Place:British Columbia, Canada
Death Place:Berry, New South Wales, Australia
Nationality:Canadian, Australian
Alma Mater:Loyola College, Montreal
Occupation:Music manager, music businessman
Years Active: 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[1] 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.[2]

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.[3] 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.[4]

McMartin received the APRA Ted Albert Award in 2007 and the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2015.[5] His long-term clients Hoodoo Gurus were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2007.[6]

Personal life and death

McMartin resided in Cambewarra, New South Wales as of 2015.[7] He was married to Saskia and had a son, along with two grandchildren. McMartin died at a hospital in Berry, New South Wales on 31 March 2024, at the age of 79, after a long-term cancer diagnosis.[8]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Artists recognised in Queen's Birthday Honours . 2 April 2024 . Limelight .
  2. Web site: 2 April 2024 . Michael McMartin, Celebrated Artist Manager, Dies at 79 . 2 April 2024 . Billboard.
  3. Web site: About Support Act . 2 April 2024 . Support Act .
  4. Web site: The Backing Group » About The Backing Group . 2 April 2024 . 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;"
  5. Web site: Brandle . Lars . 1 April 2024 . Michael McMartin, Artist Management Great, Dies at 79 . 2 April 2024 . The Music Network.
  6. News: ARIA Presents the 2007 ARIA Hall of Fame . 6 May 2007 . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080408183106/http://www.apra.com.au/news/industry/news/070507_ARIA-HallofFame.pdf . 8 April 2008 . dmy . 16 April 2024 . n.b. McMartin, as a talent manager, was not eligible for induction in the ARIA Hall of Fame.
  7. Web site: Warden . Hayley . 7 June 2015 . OAM is music to Michael McMartin's ears . 2 April 2024 . Illawarra Mercury .
  8. Web site: Green . Stephen . Industry Legend Michael McMartin Passes Away . 2 April 2024 . The Music .