Draft:Michael McMartin

Michael Arthur McMartin (OAM) (born 12 March 1945 | died 31 March 2024) is a Canadian born Australian music entrepreneur. He was a founding member of the Music Managers Forum in Australia and a co-founder of the International Music Managers’ Forum (IMMF). He is also notable for managing Australian band Hoodoo Gurus for over 40 years .

Early life and education
McMartin was born at Shawnigan Lake on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada, on 12 March 1945 to William and Daphne McMartin. He was the middle of three sons - his brother Richard was born in 1942 (d. 2017) and Gregg in 1950. He attended Brentwood College in British Columbia, CA and and graduated Dux of the School in 1963. His went on to the University Of Victoria (1963 – 66) and Loyola College Montreal (1967 – 1969), graduating with a BA in Political Science

Career
After graduating from University, McMartin moved to Australia in 1971 where he joined Charles Fisher, John Zulika and John Sayers in their new Trafalgar Recording Studio in 1975 where he was responsible for administering the publishing and record label side of the business. Trafalgar Records became an iconic independent entity, signing and recording artists as diverse as Radio Birdman, Robyn Archer, 1927, Gyan and others.

In 1985, McMartin formed Melody Management and signed Hoodoo Gurus as his first clients, a band he'd known since 1983 when he signed them to a record and publishing contract with his then employers Big Time Records. He has continued to manage the band for 38 years (2023).

As well as representing a number of artists and bands who have performed and released albums throughout the world, McMartin manages producers including his long time associate at Trafalgar, Charles Fisher (1927, Savage Garden, Hoodoo Gurus etc), and multi award winning engineer and producer Wayne Connolly.

Michael was a founding member of the Music Managers’ Forum (MMF) in Australia and was made an Honorary Lifetime member of the MMF in 2002 for his contribution to management. He was a co-founder of the International Music Managers’ Forum (IMMF), the umbrella organisation for managers from some 26 countries which has NGO status at WIPO, the United Nations agency dealing with worldwide copyright issues and served as it’s Chairman and then Executive Director for ten years.

In 2007 he helped found the AAM, the Association of Artist Managers (Australia) and in 2008 was elected to its first board of Directors.

Over the years McMartin has been invited to work with the music industries in China and Egypt, has spoken at many international events and forums in Canada, the USA, the UK, Europe and Brazil plus at countless local forums in Australia.

At the 2007 APRA Music Awards, Michael was presented with the prestigious Ted Albert Award for his lifetime contribution to Australian Music and in 2009 was elected to the ARIA Hall of Fame as part of the induction of the Hoodoo Gurus.

In 2015 he was awarded the Order Of Australia Medal (OAM) ‘for services to the performing arts, especially music.’

The Association Of Australian Managers presented him with it’s ‘Legacy Award’ in 2023. He also served as a Board Member of Support Act, the Australian music industry benevolent organisation for the first eighteen years of its existence and sat on the Create Australia panel on their program for the educational standards relating to the music industry.

Aside from his management business, Michael is a practicing mediator, specialising in the area of the creative industries and is a member of the mediation association LEADR.

He partners with fellow manager/mediator Keith Welsh in their company The Backing Group.

Personal life
McMartin married Elizabeth Andrews (1945 – 2001) in Montreal, 1969 and they have a son, Hamish Robert McMartin. In 2012, McMartin married Saskia Vrenegoor and they currently reside in Southern New South Wales.