logo
Australian radio star Paris Pompor dies aged 58, sparking tributes for the industry legend

Australian radio star Paris Pompor dies aged 58, sparking tributes for the industry legend

West Australian10-05-2025

Australian radio presenter Paris Pompor has died, aged 58.
The beloved star was known for his influential role at
Sydney
's 2SER.
Pompor had long worked the airwaves at the not-for-profit station, where he hosted the music program Jumping The Gap from 2007 - 2022.
No cause of death has been publicly released.
Pompor was known as a talented and vibrant DJ on the Sydney radio scene.
As co-host of the Groovescooter show, he celebrated the
arts and music culture
in the city, and indeed nationwide.
2SER played a tribute to Pompor on Friday night and featured a retrospective of his work at the radio station.
Following news of his death on Wednesday, a number of people posted tributes to Pompor
on social media
.
'Totally stunned and very sad to be hearing the news that Paris Pompor has passed away. A complete and total music fan, a beautiful human and always a joy to run into around the traps or at 2SER over the years,' Stuart Couple wrote on Facebook.
'Watching him dancing around the studio whilst presenting a radio show always made my day just that little happier.'
Eastside radio 89.7FM, said he had made an 'indelible' mark in Sydney: 'Paris shaped so much of Sydney music and influenced the city's arts and culture like no other.
'His love of music documentaries started a movement of
film screenings
at the Golden Age Cinema that can best be described as all sold out!
'The curation of underground independent films mixed with classic revivals like Stop Making Sense were enjoyed by everyone who attended and deserve to keep going by the next generation.'
Former Newsreader Geoff Mark Field added his own tribute
'My sincere condolences to family and friends of Paris Pompor who has died aged 58,' Field wrote.
'I remember the way he would always have something positive to say to my journalism students when I was at 2SerFM.
'Paris was a beautiful man who always went out of his way to be kind.'
The Queen Screen account for Mardi Gras also posted a tender farewell.
'Incredibly saddened to hear the news of Paris Pompor's passing.
'He was a great friend to Queer Screen who volunteered at many of our events and Groovescooter was a community partner on so many films that focussed on music and soul over the years.
'Sending love to his family, friends and community. It's a great loss to the arts, music and culture scene in Australia.'
Pompor is survived by his long-time partner Georgie Zuzak.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

How the man leading Fight MND's Big Freeze met Neale Daniher
How the man leading Fight MND's Big Freeze met Neale Daniher

Herald Sun

timean hour ago

  • Herald Sun

How the man leading Fight MND's Big Freeze met Neale Daniher

Don't miss out on the headlines from Victoria. Followed categories will be added to My News. FightMND chief executive Matt Tilley describes his first meeting with Australian of the Year Neale Daniher as 'intimidating', but the former radio star and comedian handled it in trademark style. 'I told him he was my third favourite Daniher brother growing up, thinking that might break the ice,' he says with a chuckle. 'I said, 'Terry was my fave, then I had Chris on my back because number 7 was easy for mum to sew on there, and then there was Neale'. 'He's got a very cheeky sense of humour and I think everyone can see that, but it was intimidating for me because I felt a great weight of responsibility to be taking on a role that was created by him – and he has since gone on to be Australian of the Year.' Monday's Big Freeze at the MCG, when celebrities plunge into an ice bath to raise money for motor neurone disease research and support for Australians living with the disease, is Tilley's first time at the helm of the event. He expects the MCG to be filled with blue beanies sold as part of the mega fundraiser, ahead of a traditional Collingwood and Melbourne King's Birthday blockbuster, but has also introduced a 'digital beanie' this year that can be shared via social media. He expects the MCG to be filled with blue beanies sold as part of the mega fundraiser, ahead of a traditional Collingwood and Melbourne King's Birthday blockbuster. Picture: Wayne Taylor 'You can personalise it, put your nickname on it, if you don't want to have hat hair here's a great way of leaning in and supporting the cause,' Tilley says. 'The idea is to fill a virtual 'G – getting to 100,000 digital beanies, which is one for every seat.' Tilley found time to chat to Matt Johnston for the Herald Sun's Big V Interview to explain how he went from a comedy writer with a back-up law degree to being a champion of charities. NATURAL STORY TELLER Although Tilley forged a long career as a commercial radio star, when he was first encouraged to go on air he barely knew what FM was. 'I grew up in a house where my dad just had classical music playing all the time, or jazz,' he says. The house was in Mt Eliza, where kangaroos hopped through the bush at the end of the street and Tilley and his three younger siblings roamed with bare feet. He was 'mad for footy and cricket' but tried everything at The Peninsula School and achieved more success in drama despite not being an 'artsy type'. He concedes he 'was a bit of a smart arse at school', but worked hard. 'I was senior prefect, but the first senior prefect who had been suspended. So a bit of a mix,' he says. He later embarked on an arts/law degree and took part in comedy sketches for the Melbourne University Law Revue, where the Working Dog production team had cut its teeth. Another student at the time was Cate Blanchett, who Tilley says was 'very funny'. 'I think we all thought back then, 'oh wow she's way too talented to be hanging out with us',' he says. Behind the scenes of Melbourne's number 1 rating breakfast show, the Matt and Jo show on Fox FM. Matt Tilley and Jo Stanley. Early attempts to coax him into radio were rebuffed, but when he was offered $100 a day – an 'enormous amount of money to a uni student living in a sharehouse with four blokes' – to write sketches, he caved. 'Radio evolved from … I was more of a natural story teller than I was a great comic actor because I never knew where to put my hands,' he says. 'I was lucky enough to be in and around shows like Fast Forward. Writing and a bit of extra parts, around some pretty elite talent.' His big break came on Fox FM when he partnered with Tracy Bartram, at a time when male and female presenters were paired to bounce off one another. 'Radio was about being relatable and telling a story, it wasn't so much about boom boom punchlines or acerbic comments on the news,' he says. 'I've got great memories of that time, and working with people who had the same sense of drive, camaraderie. You rely on everyone to do well.' He was later joined by Jo Stanley, and the Matt and Jo Show was the number one FM breakfast team for eight years. Despite the success and the 3:30am starts, Tilley plugged away at his arts/law degree and graduated after 11 years. 'I think it's close to the record,' he laughs. 'I recently found out I was at law school with Josh Frydenberg but I didn't see him, he was probably in and out a bit quicker than me and I didn't go to a lot of lectures. 'I finished (the degree) because I thought radio was a fool's paradise and it would never last – eventually they'd work out I was a fraud.' Matt Tilley CD Gotach Calls. Cover. In the late 1990s he married Susie and they had three children – Grace, Jack and Oscar. Stories about the challenges and joys of parenthood were often shared on air, which helped Tilley connect to listeners. 'For our audience, young families and stuff, I was going through what they were.' PRANKING HIS WAY TO THE TOP As a teenager, Tilley would entertain friends with prank calls. 'I used to get a mate's dad every second week. He was a baker and always a bit tired and vulnerable,' he says. 'I used to ring up and say I found half a mouse in a hot cross bun and stuff like that, or try and buy the bakery off him, ridiculous things like that.' In the mid-2000s his radio team suggested trying it out on air, and so he called a butcher, feigning to be an elderly man. The butcher kept hanging up and Tilley thought the prank was a fizzer, but a producer cut up the huffing and puffing of the man as he kept hanging up, and it worked. That moment spawned the popular segment, Matt Tilley's Gotcha Calls. 'It was a different time, you could do funny accents and different nationalities and it wasn't necessarily from a mean-spirited place, it was more about duping people into thinking it was someone that wasn't me,' he says. Tilley says that he has no problem with sensibilities changing over time but has empathy for people in comedy today. When Tilley hung up the radio mic he took a break, during which he considered establishing a charity fundraiser. 'Not because the times are woke and that's awful, more because the areas you can play in are more clearly defined and that just makes it harder, it's not as broad a canvas. 'You can be really quickly held to account on social media; quite possibly you offended just as many people back in the day but they couldn't be bothered writing a letter. 'Comedians will always exist at the edge of what people are happy to put up with.' The Gotcha Calls segment became four Gold-selling CDs sold on the late Michael Gudinski's record label, raising almost $1m for charity. 'It exposed me to a different world and a lot of amazing people and I connected with some of those people,' he says. 'I started to move in that direction, not through any noble sense of needing to do right, but I thought 'I kind of like this'. 'And I thought I could use whatever skills I might have to appeal to large audiences, to raise money for important things, and be sufficiently different that I can still have fun and shake things up a bit.' FROM MIC DROP TO DOLLAR DROP When Tilley hung up the radio mic he took a break, during which he considered establishing a charity fundraiser. Eventually he was convinced to have a crack, and created the Aussie Dollar Drop in 2018. 'I had this idea that if everyone dropped $1 on one day, there would be $25m,' he says. The fundraiser took flight in Victoria at the 2018 election, and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for homeless services. TV and radio presenter Tracy Bartram with Matt Tilley, Greg Fleet, Amanda Keller and Peter Berner from TV show "The Chat Room" Mar 2003. panel panellists 'It didn't make the $25m, because everybody votes before the election and no one carries cash,' he says. 'But I kind of went, 'oh, if you have an idea that people think is pretty good and it's achieving a pretty good end, they'll get behind you.' Soon after, he took on a new role at Foodbank Victoria, after CEO David McNamara recognised the impact Covid-19 would have on its services. Tilley jokes that Foodbank's success as the largest hunger relief charity in the country is from being 'beneficiaries of fusspots and morons' who reject fruit and vegetables based on shape or colour. As a 'mad veggie grower', Tilley has an affinity with agricultural producers and the challenges they face. 'My dirty secret is I'm a competitive veggie grower,' he says. 'I want to win as many ribbons as I can; I go to the Red Hill show, I'm three times aggregate champion, undefeated.' His secret to success is simple. 'Chicken shit, I go through tonnes of it,' he says. 'There's this chicken farmer down the road from where my veggie patch is and he puts rice husk on the floor for his chickens, scrapes it up with all the crap on the floor and it's magic.' FIGHTING MND During his time at Foodbank, Tilley instigated a 'food fight' initiative at schools. Using fake fruits and recycled material, the fundraiser is effectively a chance for students to raise money for a worthy cause so they could 'piff stuff at teachers'. 'I wanted to build something that a lot of people want to do, that's fun,' he says. 'The epitome of that is the Big Freeze.' When Tilley was sounded out to take the FightMND reins from outgoing CEO, Dr Fiona McIntosh, he seized the opportunity. Picture: Wayne Taylor When Tilley was sounded out to take the FightMND reins from outgoing CEO, Dr Fiona McIntosh, he seized the opportunity, having admired the organisation's community connection from afar. Neale Daniher, who set up the charity with Pat Cunningham and the late Dr Ian Davis in 2014, is still 'incredibly engaged' in operations, despite MND's crippling effects. 'It's very difficult for him to communicate personally, but there wouldn't be many days I don't get an email or a question from him, he's still incredibly engaged and sharp of mind,' Tilley says. The FightMND Army has invested more than $115 million in research and support services since 2014 and Daniher's advocacy saw him named the 2025 Australian of the Year. Tilley says Monday's Big Freeze event 'is a special one' for that reason, and that FightMND is upfront about Daniher's illness, which weakens nerve cells and eventually leads to muscle paralysis. 'We are very honest about it – it's getting harder and harder for him,' Tilley says. 'The slide is so special for him, we really want to make sure each year it is something amazing.' Donate and grab your digital beanie at

Talking Heads celebrate 50th anniversary with new video
Talking Heads celebrate 50th anniversary with new video

Perth Now

time4 hours ago

  • Perth Now

Talking Heads celebrate 50th anniversary with new video

Talking Heads have released a new music video to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their first show. The band - who haven't performed together since 1984 and officially disbanded in 1991 - had been teasing an announcement and on Thursday (05.06.25), they shared the first video for their 1977 single Psycho Killer, which features Saoirse Ronan. The new clip is directed by Mike Mills and shows a young woman moving through her daily routine at her home, office and car, each day becoming a different version of herself, and the Outrun actress was delighted to be involved. She said in a statement: 'To simply be mentioned in the same breath as Talking Heads is hands down one of the coolest things that has ever happened to me, let alone making a video with the singular Mike Mills to accompany one of their most iconic songs – Psycho Killer. "I have grown up listening to their music, so this truly is a childhood/teenage/lifelong dream come true. Mike, myself and the rest of the creative team had so much fun making this, and I can't wait for Talking Heads fans to see it!' Mike declared the video to be one of "the best" projects he's been involved with. He said: 'This album literally changed what was possible in life for me, so to get to play with the subversive, uncategorisable beauty of Talking Heads, and to play with Saoirse who brought so much surprise, power, vulnerability and mischief to the party, it's one of the best things I ever got to be a part of – still can't believe it actually happened.' And Talking Heads - David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Jerry Harrison, and Chris Frantz - are delighted with his work. They said in a statement: 'This video makes the song better- We LOVE what this video is NOT – it's not literal, creepy, bloody, physically violent or obvious." The group reunited for their first full reunion in 20 years in 2023 to mark the 40th anniversary of their concert film 'Stop Making Sense'. During their promotional commitments at the time, they all insisted there were no plans for a full reunion. Chris told NME at the time: 'I did try it a couple of times and the last time was about 20 years ago, and after that, David just said: 'I never want you to ask me that question again. I'm not going to address that matter.' It's a shame and it is what it is.'

Hollywood icons become owners of Aussie sports team
Hollywood icons become owners of Aussie sports team

Perth Now

time6 hours ago

  • Perth Now

Hollywood icons become owners of Aussie sports team

Australia's ocean dominance has got a Hollywood upgrade as Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds became co-owners of the country's three-times champion SailGP team, now rebranded as the BONDS Flying Roos. The investment adds star power to the Australian outfit who have dominated the global sailing championship, winning a trio of titles in four seasons of the high-speed racing series. 'We're incredibly excited to set sail together in this new adventure,' Jackman and Reynolds said in a statement. 'Hugh brings a deep love for and pride in his home country as well as being an avid fan of sailing.' The move comes just days after Oscar winner Anne Hathaway sailed into sports ownership, joining a female-led consortium who acquired the Red Bull Italy SailGP Team in what circuit CEO Russell Coutts called 'another significant milestone in SailGP's growth as a league'. Australia's SailGP Team, helmed by Tom Slingsby, have been bought by Hollywood actors. Credit: AAP Founded in 2019, SailGP pits national crews in identical 50ft foiling catamarans reaching speeds over 54 knots within metres of shorelines in iconic harbours worldwide. 'This is an incredible milestone for us and for our sport,' said Tom Slingsby, who serves as driver, CEO and co-owner of the Flying Roos. SailGP director Andy Thompson added: 'Today marks a landmark moment not just for the Australia team, but for the trajectory of SailGP globally,' highlighting the 'extraordinary combination of global reach, vision, commercial nous' the Hollywood duo bring. The newly minted Flying Roos will debut under their star-studded ownership at the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix on June 7-8, where they aim to defend their position atop the championship leaderboard.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store