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Ten years since CMU co-founder’s death
By CMU Editorial | Published on Monday 15 August 2011
Tomorrow marks the tenth anniversary of the death of Alastair Walker, co-founder of CMU.
It was in early spring 1998 that he, Fraser Thomson, and current co-publisher Chris Cooke set out to launch a media that would bring together everyone working in music from the top executives at the biggest music companies to grass roots artists, songwriters, promoters, label owners and music journalists. CMU subsequently launched in May 1998. Although Alastair’s premature death, just before his 30th birthday, of a heart attack brought on by undiagnosed diabetes, came just over three years later, by then he had put in place the musical ethos and editorial attitude that continues at CMU to this day.
Commenting on the anniversary, Cooke said: “It’s hard to believe that it’s ten whole years since Alastair died. On one level it seems a lifetime ago, on another it feels like only yesterday that we were sitting in our warehouse office near Islington plotting the future of CMU together. Of course what we do, and how we do it, has changed a lot in the last ten years, but I think the general attitude and ambition, and music policy, which Alastair played such a crucial role in creating ten, eleven, twelve years ago continues to this day”.
To mark the anniversary and celebrate Alastair’s role in creating CMU, Chris has complied a special tribute Powers Of Ten playlist featuring some of his co-founder’s favourite artists, and some newer artists Chris is certain he would have championed. You can check the playlist out here.
