Died On This Date (August 10, 2007) Tony Wilson / Co-founded Factory Records
themusicsover Tony Wilson
February 20, 1950 – August 10, 2007
A man of many hats, Tony Wilson is best remembered as co-owner of Factory Records, home the one-time home of Joy Division, New Order and OMD. He also owned The Hacienda, which became the epicenter of the Manchester music scene of the late ’80s and early ’90s. Before his foray into music, Wilson was a journalist and BBC television peronaility, most notably hosting So It Goes and After Dark. Suffering from advance stages of renal cancer, Wilson, age 57, died of a heart attack in a Manchester hospital.
John Hughes is best remembered as a writer or director of some of the most popular coming-of-age films of the ’80s. He was also responsible for introducing many new bands to American audiences thanks to their prominent placement in his films and soundtracks. Too most, John Hughes films were the first place they heard what would now be called “alternative” rock when it was still in it’s infancy. Movies like The Breakfast Club, Pretty In Pink, Sixteen Candles, and Ferris Beuller’s Day Off featured future hits like Simple Minds’ “Don’t You Forget About Me,” Yello’s “Oh Yeah,” Spandau Ballet’s “True,” and OMD’s “If You Leave.” And so golden was his touch, that MCA Records gave him his own boutique record label at the time. John Hughes died unexpectedly of a heart attack at the age of 59.
