Jimbo 175 Posted August 10, 2007 Share Posted August 10, 2007 Anthony Wilson, the music mogul behind some of Manchester's most successful bands, has died of cancer. The Salford-born entrepreneur, who founded Factory records, the label behind New Order and the Happy Mondays, was diagnosed last year. The 57-year-old, also famous for setting up the Hacienda nightclub, underwent emergency surgery in January to remove a kidney. He passed away on Friday evening in hospital. Doctors recommended he take the drug Sutent after chemotherapy failed to beat the disease, but the NHS refused to fund the £3,500-a-month treatment. However, members of the Happy Mondays and other acts he supported over the years stepped in and started a fund to help pay for it. His vision and determination played a key role in helping to put Manchester on the map for its music and vibrant nightlife and his entrepreneurial skills inspired people everywhere. Phil Saxe, who used to work at Factory Records with Wilson, said: "Part of me, part of Manchester, part of modern British music has died tonight. "Tony was a genius, basically. "He was a visionary in that he helped bands, who otherwise wouldn't have made it, who were a bit out of the ordinary. "He helped them realise their dreams and through that probably realised himself to be Mr Manchester". 'An inspiration' BBC journalist Kristan Deconinck sought advice from him in the early 1980s on how to launch an independent record label shortly after Wilson had started Factory records. "He couldn't have been more helpful and more patient," Kristan said. "He inspired me - and countless others - to have a go if you believed in something. "That in itself is a great legacy, apart from the vision he had with his label, his shows, his attitude - his contribution to a new culture. "When I later met him, I found him far more amenable than scurrilous rumours had led me to believe and my esteem for the guy never diminished." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Kenneth Noisewater 0 Posted August 10, 2007 Share Posted August 10, 2007 Genuinely shocked. He played a massive part in the music industry in this country for the last 30 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom_NUFC 0 Posted August 10, 2007 Share Posted August 10, 2007 very sad news RIP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom 14021 Posted August 10, 2007 Share Posted August 10, 2007 RIP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted August 10, 2007 Share Posted August 10, 2007 Just heard this. Canny gutted like. One of those people who wasn't in it for the money. RIP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Face 29 Posted August 10, 2007 Share Posted August 10, 2007 Just heard this. Canny gutted like. One of those people who wasn't in it for the money. RIP. Couldn't afford the £3500 a month for his treatment in the end. A fund had to be set up for him. Mind you, look what he spent on that table Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jusoda Kid 1 Posted August 10, 2007 Share Posted August 10, 2007 Weird, before when i read about him in the Eddie the Eagle thread i thought to myself 'didn't he die last year' then i read this a few hours later Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Kenneth Noisewater 0 Posted August 10, 2007 Share Posted August 10, 2007 Will watch 24-Hour Party People again tomorrow as a tribute. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ketsbaia 0 Posted August 10, 2007 Share Posted August 10, 2007 Gutted is the word RIP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt 0 Posted August 11, 2007 Share Posted August 11, 2007 Really sad news, even recently he was still appearing on programs like The Politics Show (in Granada) despite his clear poor health. RIP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinofbeans 91 Posted August 12, 2007 Share Posted August 12, 2007 there was a link on the bbc website. guy looked a mess tbh. scandalous that he was treated this way by the nhs. Rest in peace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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