Australian music industry icon Michael Gudinski will be honoured in a state memorial service tonight, with a long list of celebrities expected to take part in the event.
The memorial will be held at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena at 7.07pm today.
Gudinski is also set to have an ARIA award renamed in his honour ahead of the memorial.
The ARIA award for Best Breakthrough Artist will be renamed as The Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist ARIA Award.
Gudinski, a renowned music promoter and record label founder, died suddenly aged 68 earlier this month.
A total of 8000 people - who managed to nab tickets - will be in attendance at the memorial, with entertainment company Mushroom Group also live-streaming the event on YouTube.
However, the memorial will not be accessible to viewers once the service concludes.
Organisers have been tight-lipped about the onstage talent set to perform at the service, however UK singer Ed Sheeran was pictured arriving in Melbourne on Monday.
Other famous musicians, including Jimmy Barnes, Kylie Minogue, Vance Joy, Mark Seymour, Paul Kelly, Diesel, James Reyne, Vika and Linda, are rumoured to be attending the event to celebrate the life and career of the music legend.
Sheeran, 30, reportedly flew into Australia via a private jet with his wife and baby daughter, undertaking 14-day quarantine in a private retreat in the Hawkesbury region of NSW, before heading down south.
The UK superstar was a close friend to Gudinski, posting a poignant photo of them together against a sunset following the news of his death.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CL5f1zGhHno/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_linkIn a post on Instagram, Sheeran said it was "so hard" to describe how much his friend meant to him.
"Michael was a tornado of joy. You would know he arrived in the building just by hearing the chaotic bark of his, and you could feel the room get excited about the arrival of his presence," he said.
"He was such a force, and would make everyone feel like they were the most important person to him.
"We were, first and foremost, friends. He was a father figure and mentor to me."
READ MORE: 'We've lost a giant': Richard Wilkins remembers Michael Gudinski
Gudinski founded the Mushroom Group in 1972 at just 20 years old, which flourished into Australia's largest independent entertainment group covering touring, record labels, publishing, merchandising, booking agencies, film and television production and creative services.
The record label founder was laid to rest at a private funeral at Ormond Hall in Melbourne earlier this month, the venue he first staged live shows in the 1970s.
Celebrities including the likes of Kylie and Dannii Minogue, Molly Meldrum, Jimmy Barnes and Tina Arena attended the service.
from 9News https://ift.tt/31pP5pH
via IFTTT
0 Comments