Rob Partridge, the founder of PR and management company Coalition Group, has died at the age of 60 from cancer.
Partridge began his career as a journalist for Music Week, moving to Melody Maker in the mid seventies. He made the switch to PR in 1977 when he became head of press at Island Records. Acts he worked closely with during that period included the likes of Bob Marley, U2, Grace Jones, Marianne Faithfull, Run-DMC, Tom Waits and Lee 'Scratch' Perry. He left Island in 1990 to launch a PR agency, Partridge and Storey, with his business partner Neil Storey, a company which would be renamed Coalition when Storey left in 1996. Coalition Management was launched in 1999, and currently handles clients such as The Streets, Bloc Party and The Zutons.
Colleagues and clients have been queuing up to pay tribute to Partridge, who was a highly regarded figure in the industry. According to Billboard, Marianne Faithfull, who has worked with Partridge since 1979, has released a statement saying that he was "one of the greatest men I have known and a great man to work with. I don't know what I will do without him, we have been friends for so long".
Another client, Johnny Marr, said in a statement: "Rob was a lovely guy, gentle and polite, but not above good devilish humor. He loved soulful music and working with soulful artists, because he was soulful himself".
U2 star Bono says: "Rob Partridge was the first person in the British music industry to sing our praises. He not only had an eye for upcoming talent, he was a nurturer... a person who would educate you about the kind of obstacles you were going to meet and how to get over them... a rare human being".
HMV's Gennaro Castaldo says: "Everyone who knew Rob will tell you he was one of the most genuine and decent guys around. Incredibly knowledgeable and generous, and always prepared to help somebody that needed his advice or his unique brand of wisdom. Perhaps his greatest quality was the ability to bring like-minded people together, and, of course, he helped shaped the careers of some of our greatest artists - though you wouldn't know it, as he was also one of the most humble and modest people you're ever likely to have met".
Coalition issued the following statement: "From Tina [Partridge's wife] and all of us at the Coalition Family and to all in our extended family of ex-staffers, clients, colleagues, artists, journalists and friends, we send our heartfelt thanks for all your love and support during Rob's fight and the knowledge that his spirit will live on through all of us that he's taught and nurtured in the way that only Rob ever could".