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The legendary Australian promoter and industry pioneer was 82
By Gordon Masson on 08 Apr 2024
Tributes have started flowing in for Garry Van Egmond, who died on Saturday 6 April, following complications of recent surgery.
As founder of the Van Egmond Group, Garry was a key figure in the Australasian entertainment industry, with more than 50 years’ experience in touring, production of theatrical events, merchandising, marketing, and promotion. In a statement, promoting powerhouse TEG Van Egmond said that Van Egmond was responsible for sales of more than 35 million tickets across Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, Taiwan & Japan.
The promoter of some of Australia’s most historic tours, Garry long list of achievements include Bette Midler’s The Divine Miss M Tour, which sold out 72 performances in 1978; Dire Straits’ 1986 Brothers In Arms tour; Jesus Christ Superstar in 1992; Riverdance in 1997; and AC/DC’s Black Ice tour in 2010, which became the fastest selling tour in Australian history selling over 520,000 tickets in under three hours, and went on to to sell more than 760,000 tickets in Australia & New Zealand.
Former Dire Straits manager Ed Bicknell tells IQ, “As you may know I did all four sold-out Dire Straits tours of Australasia with Garry. He was everything a great promoter should be but much more than that, he became a real and trusted friend to Mark Knopfler, John Illsley, the other musicians and our road crew, my office staff, and especially to me.
“He was a class act and most importantly a kind man with whom a contract seemed wholly irrelevant so we didn’t have one. I’m really going to miss him.”
“His legacy will stand the test of time”
In early 2020, Van Egmond Group was acquired by TEG Group, and continued to operate under Garry’s leadership as TEG Van Egmond.
TEG Group CEO Geoff Jones says, “Today the entire TEG family expresses our sadness and mourns the loss of Garry Van Egmond.
“Garry was not only a highly valued colleague but a thoroughly decent person, and a resounding talent with the highest integrity. His legacy will stand the test of time. Our thoughts are with Christo, Katie and his family through these difficult times.”
TEG Van Egmond managing director, Christo Van Egmond says, “Garry was a true gentleman in the business and was highly regarded and respected by artists, managers, agents, and everyone he worked with. He was a superb mentor to me and I have enjoyed working with him for nearly 30 years. Over that time, we have presented some amazing events in Australia, New Zealand and Asia. He was a fantastic father and friend to me and will be missed dearly by his family, friends, and colleagues.”
Garry is survived by his daughter Katie, son Christo and grandchildren Hugo and Saskia.
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