2020 In Memoriam: Those We Lost

The loss of so many people who touched the live business was especially acute in this most difficult year where each passing seemed yet another body blow we somehow had to absorb. This is a collection of just some of the prominent passings this year, which includes legendary artists, industry professionals and still others who have all left their mark on the world (listed in chronological order). 

The masterful Rush drummer was a mainstay in a power trio that was also mighty on the road, culminating with the band’s final tour in 2015, which grossed $37.8 million on 35 shows, good for No. 42 on Pollstar’s Top 100 Worldwide tours that year.

Mike Thrasher Presents helped put Portland, Ore., on the map for rock, punk and rap shows starting in 1994, a booking destination for bands in the Northwest. He was the first to bring artists including The Killers and The White Stripes to Portland, among others. He expanded into Seattle, and in 2005 acquired Portland’s Hawthorne Theatre, which became a prominent all-ages club.

According to Pollstar Boxoffice reports, Rogers had 1,294 plays and 390 reports between Feb 28, 1999, and Dec 10, 2017, selling some 1.05 million tickets on his way to grossing $47.6 million. The Gambler was a household name and influence to generations of musicians.

Bill Withers’ string ‘70s soulful hits have stood the test of time, with timeless classics like “Lean on Me, ” “Lovely Day” and “Ain’t No Sunshine” sure to last in perpetuity. The singer stopped making music in the mid-1980s, although his death came as many drew inspiration from his music during the pandemic.

Universally lauded as a genre-defining Americana songwriters and performer, Prine has reported average ticket sales of 2,414 and gross of $178,212 in addition to hosting the “All The Best Festival” in the Dominican Republic and being a staple of festivals including Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Telluride Folk Festival, Newport Folk, Americana MusicFest, and Merle Fest. Prine has also been a favorite of the Ryman Auditorium, where he sold out a New Year’s Eve show with Marty Stuart and The Secret Sisters, moving 4,244 tickets and grossing $595,563. Prior to that, his Oct. 5-6, 2018 landmark performances also sold out, with 4,555 tickets grossing $426,370.

“There was a lot of jockeying for first place, you might say, between Little Richard and James Brown,” former Little Richard agent Jack Bart told Pollstar. “They were quite friendly towards each other, and they were always jostling each other for who was the better entertainer of the two of them. It was all in good fun.”