In the book 25 years of Mushroom Records, published in 1998, Michael Gudinski described himself as “Chairman, Mushroom Group of Companies and music fan”.
There could be no better description of Gudinski, an icon of the Australian popular music industry, who has died at the age of 68. An undated image of Gudinski. Frontier Touring/AAP
His name is synonymous with the biggest artists in Australia for good reason. Gudinski founded Mushroom Records in 1972. One of its first “big bangs” was a triple album, live recording of the Sunbury Festival. Next came Frontier Touring (founded in 1979) and what would eventually become the Mushroom Group.