Business News Obituaries

SxSW’s Brent Grulke 1960-2012

By | Published on Tuesday 14 August 2012

Brent Grulke

Brent Grulke, the Creative Director of South By Southwest, has died aged 52. Having recently returned to the US after visiting London for the Olympics, he had been scheduled to undergo dental treatment yesterday, and died of a heart attack shortly before the procedure.

Originally working in music as a sound engineer and tour manager, Grulke also subsequently spent time in the marketing department at a label called Spindeltop Records and wrote for the Austin Chronicle, having first moved to the Texan city to study at its university.

He was involved with music festival and convention SxSW from its conception in 1987, initially as a stage manager, and became the event’s Creative Director in 1994. In that role in particular he helped hone the annual festival’s reputation for booking underground talent, as well as supporting local musicians.

Grulke is survived by his wife Kristen and son Graham



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