Ken West, the co-founder of Big Day Out, has died. He was 64.
Members of the music industry were left shattered after the West family confirmed his death in a statement. As reported by 7News, his family revealed that the festival director passed away "quietly and peacefully" in his sleep on Thursday.
"We bring unfortunate news that, Ken West; a father, husband, mentor and most of all a legend, has passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of the 7th April 2022," the message reads. "Our family would appreciate respect and privacy during this difficult time. Ken was big and noisy in life, but passed quietly and peacefully."
Tributes have been pouring since the news came out, with fans and music industry figures publicly sharing their heartbreak.
Urthboy, Frenzal Rhomb, The superjesus, and Hilltop Hoods all took their sadness to social media.
He lived 1000 lives in 64 years. He gave so much not only to me, but to thousands of music fans. My first festival experience was 94 @bigdayout - I then was lucky enough to play at over 20 of them. The loss is indelible & hard to comprehend, thank you for everything Ken West xxx
— Phil Jamieson (@philjamieson) April 7, 2022
Big Day Out and Ken West launched and then carried the careers of countless Australian artists. His impact on the culture of Australian music and music festivals in general cannot be overstated. A big loss.
— Hilltop Hoods (@hilltophoods) April 8, 2022
Frontier Touring tour director Sahara Heralds also shared how "utterly heartbroken" she feels by West's death, reminiscing how she was able to spend the best part of her two decades with the late genius.
Details about his funeral have not been released yet.
Ken West's Legacy Revisited
West launched Big Day Out in 1992 - a year after annual music festivals became hit. Along with Vivian Lees, West was able to launch the festival as a Sydney-only show before extending it to Melbourne, Perth, and Adelaide the following year.
Big Day Out reached Auckland, New Zealand, and the Gold Coast in 1994. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, the event became well-renowned for bringing the biggest rock and electronic musicians and acts.
In an interview with Double J's "Inside the Big Day Out" podcast in 2019, the late director recalled how the event became everyone's favorite.
"I think there was a period in time there that it was the best festival in the world, and every band I knew wanted to do it," he said. "Sometimes in life, it's a slow-motion version of a critical incident."
Its frequent headliners included Neil Young, Foo Fighters, Metallica, Pearl Jam, The White Stripes, Kanye West, Muse, and Red Hot Chili Peppers, among others.
Big Day Out ended in 2014 after US concert promoters C3 Presents, bought it. After the festival's final shows, West kept a low profile until his death.
Despite losing it, he was still able to celebrate Big Day Out's supposed 30th anniversary through its website.
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