Gudinski: The Godfather of Australian Rock

by Stuart Coupe

The real story of the man behind the bands - and a backstage pass to forty years of Australian rock music.Known to many as GODinski, Michael Gudinski is unquestionably the most powerful and influential figure in the Australian rock'n'roll music business - and has been for the last four decades.Often referred to as 'the father of the Australian music industry', he has nurtured the careers of many artists - Kylie Minogue, Jimmy Barnes, Paul Kelly, Skyhooks, Split Enz, Yothu Yindi, to name just a few. But his reach isn't limited to Australian artists. With his Frontier Touring Company, Gudinski has toured The Rolling Stones, Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Sting ... pretty much a who's who of the arena level international music scene.A self-made multi-millionaire, Gudinski is the Australian equivalent of Richard Branson or David Geffen, but who is this tough, inspired, flamboyant and impassioned businessman who has shaped Australian popular culture? Where did he come from, and how has he stayed relevant for so long in an industry notorious for its fickleness? Rock journalist Stuart Coupe delves into Gudinski's life to find the answers - and in doing so gives us a backstage pass to forty years of Australian rock.

Genres: Music, Biography

410 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 28, 2015

Reviews

[Matt Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read about a key player in the Australian music industry. There is definitely a large focus on Gudinski's business dealings, rather than funny stories of his times interacting with famous artists. IIt makes for a great nostalgia trip if you're an Australian music fan.

I found it fun to have the book in one hand and Spotify in the other as I read. That way you can relive each act as it's discussed.

[Cameron U. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael Gudinski is such a iron-clad figure in the mythos of the Australian music scene, and this book does a great job of dispelling some of the air around him. It weaves so many threads together and gives a clear-cut tale of how Gudinski grew to wield as much influence as he did, from Mushroom Records to Frontier Touring and everything in-between. It also includes several anecdotes about Gudinkski's wheeling and dealing with some of the biggest players in his empire over the decades, which I greatly appreciated, as not only are some of the artists featured in these my favourites to ever come from Australia, such as Skyhooks and Hunters and Collectors, but it also shows just how much Gudinski grew as a businessman over these years. The narrative does get a little muddled at points, with certain threads not being entirely relevant to the chapters they appear in. It also requires at least some base knowledge of who Gudinski was, and doesn't focus on his early dealings in the 70s as much as I would've liked. But overall, a good read on the most important Australian music industry mogul.

[David Gagen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative account of an important figure in Australian music.

[Brett McDowall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read about the early Aussie music scene - Mushroom we’re fiercely independent and responsible for establishing the industry throughout 70-90’s.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did not like this book. story was slow and without structure. Gudinski was a huge influence on the Australian Rock scene. this book did not understanding the man.

[Simon Sweetman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cracking read, this. A fascinating and fantastic story expertly told. Works as a history of a great time in Australian (and some NZ) music. And with a larger-than-life folk-hero at the centre of it.

[Clinton Hoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this down. Michael Gufinski has always fascinated me and I found the stories in this book endlessly enjoyable. Quickest I've read a book in years and it's packed with lessons and inspiration for musicians and music business hopefuls alike.

[Isalts · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book became quiet repetitive in the narrative.
The end result being you only get a one dimensional insight into Gudinski's character and what makes him tick.
Disappointing.