Music industry accountant and charity campaigner Jason Boas has died. He had been suffering from pancreatic cancer, having been diagnosed with the disease back in October 2007 at the age of 33. Following his diagnosis, he set up No Surrender, a charity to help and support younger and middle-aged people suffering from cancer, which has raised more than £100k to date, and staged events such as a gig featuring Maximo Park, Blood Red Shoes, and Mystery Jets.
Universal International Marketing Manager Alex Myers is one of many industry types who has already paid tribute to Boas. He told Music Week: "I have known Jason for over 20 years and have lost my best friend after a rollercoaster year of highs and lows. As a fundraiser he was an absolute inspiration, running three marathons before his illness and raising over £100,00 since his diagnosis, for both the Royal Marsden Hospital and his own charity No Surrender, which he set up to support others in the same situation and age bracket as himself. He never lost his sense of humour throughout a year of relentless treatment and operations, he was a special person who touched everyone who met him. As a friend he is irreplaceable".
A partner at chartered accountants Harris And Trotter, Boas worked on the finances of acts such as Depeche Mode, KT Tunstall and Maximo Park. Senior partner Ronnie Harris said of him: "He was an exceptionally good guy and he loved the music business. Everyone he met could only say good things about him".