Latest news with #SuperflyEntertainment
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Bonnaroo co-founder Jonathan Mayers dies, aged 51, days before famed music festival set to begin
Bonnaroo co-founder Jonathan Mayers has died at the age of 51 - days before this year's festival was set to begin. The music mogul's former partners at Superfly Entertainment confirmed his passing, as did the festival on their Instagram page. They did not give a cause of death. 'Our hearts are extremely heavy as we mourn the loss of one of our Co-Founders, Jonathan Mayers,' Bonnaroo said in a statement released on Tuesday. 'For more than a decade Jonathan was a creative force behind this festival that so many of us have held near and dear to our hearts now for more than twenty years. 'As a very small token of our appreciation for what he contributed to Bonnaroo, we will plant a tree in his honor on The Farm. 'Our thoughts are with Jonathan's family and friends during this very difficult time. 'This weekend we celebrate Jonathan by doing the two things we know best to do in our favorite place on the planet. Spreading love and radiating positivity.' New York native Mayers was known for creating iconic American festivals including Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tennessee and Outside Lands in San Francisco, California. Bonnaroo is set to begin in just two days, with Luke Combs and Dom Dolla headlining on Thursday, followed by Tyler, The Creator on Friday, Olivia Rodrigo on Saturday, and Hozier on Sunday. Around 80,000 people flock to the legendary festival each year, which has been going since 2002. 'We are heartbroken with the passing of Jonathan,' his former partners, Superfly Entertainment said in a statement released on Tuesday. 'He was a cherished part of Superfly's story, woven into its history and legacy. 'In addition to the role he's played in bringing joy to millions, we will miss his razor sharp wit, infectious smile and contagious laugh. 'No one could light up a room like Jon.' Mayers grew up around an hour outside New York City, and graduated from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1995. He got his start in the music industry while working with famed New Orleans venue Tipitina's and the city's Jazz Fest. Mayers co-founded Superfly in 1996 with Rick Farman, Richard Goodstone and Kerry Black.. They launched their first concert during Mardi Gras, featuring the Meters, Maceo Parker and Rebirth Brass Band. The quartet launched and sold out the first ever Bonnaroo festival in 2002, situated an hour away from Nashville. Featuring big names like Trey Anastasio from Phish and Grateful Dead's Phil Lesh and Bob Weir from the early days, Bonnaroo paved the way for many more music festivals which emerged in the following years across the US, according to Billboard.
Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Jonathan Mayers, co-founder of Outside Lands and Bonnaroo, dead at 51
Jonathan Mayers, the live-music executive who co-founded the groundbreaking festivals Outside Lands and Bonnaroo and the promoter Superfly Entertainment, has died. He was 51. Mayers' former partners at Superfly released a statement to Billboard: 'We are heartbroken with the passing of Jonathan. He was a cherished part of Superfly's story, woven into its history and legacy. In addition to the role he's played in bringing joy to millions, we will miss his razor sharp wit, infectious smile and contagious laugh. No one could light up a room like Jon.' They did not give a cause of death. Mayers' flagship events helped usher in the modern era of American music festivals. Pairing a distinct jam-band sensibility with wide-ranging tastes in pop, electronic, hip-hop and rock, these loose-vibed, meticulously curated events built on the legacies of shows like Woodstock and Lollapalooza to become cultural fixtures in the newly ascendant U.S. festival scene of the 2000s. After attending Tulane University and falling in love with New Orleans' jazz scene, Mayers co-founded the promotion company Superfly Entertainment in 1996. Six years later, the company produced the first installment of Bonnaroo, on a farm site an hour outside of Nashville, with headliners like Phish's Trey Anastasio and Phil Lesh and Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead to set their psychedelic, freewheeling reputation. The fest sold out its first year and became a key stop on the seasonal festival circuit, famous for its collaborative 'superjams' between top acts and drawing one-of-a-kind sets that incldued D'Angelo's long-awaited return to live stages and the final show from the Beastie Boys. Headliners included Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, Metallica and countless more. In 2015, Live Nation acquired a controlling stake in the festival. In 2008, he worked with local promoter Another Planet to found Outside Lands in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, another ambitiously mixed-genre fest that grew to become a peer of Coachella's in Northern California. Representatives for Another Planet told Billboard that 'Jonathan was a bright light, always pushing new and creative ideas in the entertainment space,' they said. 'He was a visionary who was integral in the founding and the spirit of Outside Lands. Everyone in the Another Planet family will miss him dearly.' Mayers' other major festivals included Vegoose in Las Vegas and Clusterfest, a comedy and film festival. Mayers' tenure at Superfly ended in 2021, after a contentious period with its co-founders. In early 2022, Mayers sued the company's executives, accusing them of civil misrepresentation, breach of contract and fraud. A judge dismissed the suit in 2023. His last project was Core City Detroit, which sought to invest in housing and cultural facilities in the city beloved for its R&B and electronic music.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bonnaroo co-founder dies days before festival
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — One of the co-founders of the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival has died just days before the annual event. Jonathan Mayers was the co-founder of Superfly Entertainment and co-creator of Bonnaroo and Outside Lands, which is held annually in San Francisco. His age and cause of death was not immediately released. Local agencies prepared for Bonnaroo traffic ahead of festival The festival posted a notice on Mayers' passing to social media, which reads: Our hearts are extremely heavy as we mourn the loss of one of our Co-Founders, Jonathan Mayers. For more than a decade Jonathan was a creative force behind this festival that so many of us have held near and dear to our hearts now for more than twenty years. As a very small token of our appreciation for what he contributed to Bonnaroo, we will plant a tree in his honor on The Farm. Our thoughts are with Jonathan's family and friends during this very difficult time. This weekend we celebrate Jonathan by doing the two things we know best to do in our favorite place on the planet. Spreading love and radiating you, Jonathan. This one's for you. Bonnaroo The population of Manchester grows to anywhere from 50- to 80,000 people annually when campers and other festivalgoers making the pilgrimage to The Farm for Bonnaroo. The pioneering festival sold out its very first year back in 2002 and has become the blueprint for festivals across the country. 📲 Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go.📧 Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox.💻 for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
