Gudinksi was this year’s recipient of the city of Melbourne’s Melburnian of the Year, a prestigious award celebrating the acts of passionate Melburnians who shape the city.
Coming from humble beginnings, Michael Gudinksi has changed the Australian music scene forever.
As founder of Mushroom Records, Gudinksi has been credited with discovering the Skyhooks, New Zealand’s Split Enz, MacKenzie Theory, Kylie Minogue, The Choirboys, Eskimo Joe and Evermore. He also opened the Bombay Bicycle Club in Bourke Street moving it to Sydney Street, renaming it Bombay Rock and creating one of the best live music venues for international and local bands in Melbourne.
Gudinksi’s efforts after the Black Saturday bushfires and Queensland floods were praised when he arranged the Sound Relief event with bands such as Midnight Oil, Split Enz, Icehouse, Coldplay You Am I and Kings of Leon playing two concerts at the same time at the Melbourne and Sydney Cricket Grounds. This event raised $10 million for the victims of these disasters.
Often referred to as the ‘father of Australian music’, Gudinksi shows no signs of slowing down approaching his 60th birthday. He has plans to lobby the government for tax incentives for those who invest in the Australian music industry and a developing a Melbourne Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with fellow music mogel Molly Meldrum.
