There is a light that never goes out: Tribute to Jim Aiken 1932 - 2007

NIALL STOKES (Hot Press)
Without a shadow of a doubt, Jim Aiken was one of the most important figures in the Irish Music Industry over the past fifty years. Born in 1932, in Jonesborough in south Armagh, right beside the border, he grew up in a very different Ireland to the one we inhabit now. One of a family of seven children, having done his Leaving Cert, he originally went away to become a priest. However, after four years training in Maynooth, he realised that he didn’t have a vocation.
It required considerable courage, particularly in the Ireland of the 1950s, to walk away from the priesthood, and to risk both disappointment and shame, among family and community. The decision was not taken lightly – but that he made it was the mark of the man. Throughout his long and distinguished career as a promoter, that courage remained undimmed.
He became a teacher of Physics and Maths in Belfast, but began to promote gigs as a way of supplementing his income. His first show featured The Royal Showband on New Year’s Eve, 1959 – and, in a sense, the modern era in Irish music began there, and then, on what was a wild, and wildly successful, night. Jim started out working with showbands, but he quickly moved on to promoting international acts, including Bill Haley and the Comets, Johnny Cash, Tom Jones, Englebert Humperdink, Cream, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Wonder, Abba, The Eagles, Simon and Garfunkel and innumerable others. In the process he became Ireland’s pioneering music promoter, and a hugely respected figure in the wider world of music..
Throughout the darkest years in Northern Ireland, he continued to bring in as many acts as it was possible to lure to strife-torn Belfast: he was particularly proud of his involvement in the legendary Rory Gallagher tours that were such a highlight of the Irish rock calendar throughout the 1970s. At different times, he worked successfully with U2, Van Morrison, Thin Lizzy, Christy Moore, Paul Brady and The Chieftains, among others, playing a huge part in the growth and development of Irish music along the way. And he promoted some of the biggest country artists in the business, doing gigs with Charlie Pride, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, Emmylou Harris and, most spectacularly, in the 1990s with Garth Brooks.
The seminal Rolling Stones gig at Slane Castle in 1982 was a watershed. The biggest outdoor event in the country ever, up to that moment, it put Ireland indelibly on the world touring map, with every major act subsequently wanting to play here. In quick succession, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Queen and David Bowie all played Slane. Jim regarded the Springsteen gig as a career highlight: it was the Boss’ first European date on the Born In The USA tour, and the world’s media descended on the Meath village in their hundreds to catch what turned out to be a magnificent, inspiring performance. Television images were beamed all over the world, creating a wonderfully positive impression of Ireland of a kind that Bord Fáilte could never match.
There were other highlights, of course. Having played inter-county football for Armagh, Jim was uniquely well positioned with the GAA, and he successfully opened up Croke Park to music when he promoted Neil Diamond there in 1984 – a breakthrough event, which was an important stepping stone on the road to the recent historic decision to allow rugby and soccer to be played at the GAA national headquarters. 1985 was a huge summer for live music, with two U2 gigs at Croke Park matching Springsteen’s Slane appearance in their impact. It should have been a record year for Aiken Promotions financially, but much later Jim told me, with a rueful grin, that the money he made on those three phenomenally successful rock shows had all been lost promoting the Russian Circus that same summer. You win some, you lose some.
In recent years, Jim thought about retiring but didn’t, continuing to book and promote shows until a matter of weeks before he died. As Mike Edgar observes elsewhere, there was a telling symbolism to the fact that it was Jim – a former student priest – who, over the last few years, promoted gigs by Elton John and Rod Stewart at that former bastion of historical Unionist dominance and intransigence, Stormont Castle. But that was just one of many achievements in what turned out to be the twilight of a great career. Jim was also hugely important to the success of Michael Flatley, supporting him and encouraging him to put his own massively successful show on the road after Flatley had fallen out with the promoters of Riverdance. Away from promotions, he was among the investors who brought HMV to Ireland in the early 1980s. And he was heavily involved in Irish independent radio, as a director of both FM104 and Red FM in Cork.
Elton John was among his many admirers in the business and he, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Jones and many others wrote to Jim and spoke to him personally when they first heard the terrible news of the illness that would take his life. Garth Brooks, Michael Flatley and Paul Brady were among the huge number of mourners who attended his funeral in Belfast.
He was a modest man who shunned the trappings of success – but he was, nonetheless, hugely successful and influential. It is no exaggeration to say that everyone in music owes Jim a heartfelt thanks for what he did for music in Ireland. Without his pioneering spirit, and bravery, the amazing developments that have taken place in Irish music over the past forty years would not have happened. He was courageous and strong and took on challenges that others would certainly have shirked – and what’s more he made them work. It is impossible to measure the importance of that to the life, culture and well-being of the country but it is immense: that Jim made a singular and vital contribution can never be in doubt.
The music industry is tough – and not always pleasant. The promotions business is undoubtedly the hardest and most unforgiving end of it. The stakes are high and the impact of a box office failure can be devastating. And yet, there is no one who can say other than that Jim Aiken was a gentleman in his dealings throughout – that he was decent, generous, honourable, a man of his word. That is a precious thing to be able to say, looking back over a career spanning fifty years.
That’s why – or one of the reasons why – there was always such a level of respect and affection for Jim among so many musicians and people in the industry. That someone like Bruce Springsteen would take a personal interest, and insist on dealing with the same promoters over a period of many years, is a reflection of the straightforward, unassuming, personal commitment and integrity that Jim Aiken brought to an arena in which so many people, so easily, forget the essence of what it is all about. It makes a huge difference to know that the person you’re dealing with is a good man. People who dealt with Jim Aiken always knew that.
Jim was rightly proud of the fact hat he has been able to pass the torch on to his son Peter, who over the past decade in particular has taken on the Aiken Promotions mantle so successfully. Jim’s loss will be keenly felt – but it is comforting to think that he died secure in the knowledge that his powerful legacy is in good hands.
He is survived by his wife Anne and his children Peter, Claire, Susan, Cathy and Joan.

Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa (on hearing the news of Jim’s terminal illness)
“We have just got the news over here. We are crushed. Such a big part of the joy we feel when we come to Ireland is seeing that big grin of yours when we come off stage. You have given us a second home over there. It is an honour to work with you and call you friend. Patti and I send our love, a thousand times over.”
MIKE EDGAR (Head of Programme Production, BBC Northern Ireland)
Jim Aiken was to concerts and live music what John Peel was to new music. Jim was a man passionate about the business, with integrity and honesty at his very core. He was on first name terms with some of the biggest names in show business, but it always struck me that he was a measured, private man, who put his family at the centre of his world. Some people do well in the music business by making a big noise, but Jim’s straight-up manner spoke for itself, building friendships that lasted for decades, delivering some of the biggest events ever seen in Ireland.
As a boy presenter I remember going to meet Jim at his office on Belfast’s Malone Road. I was shaking like a leaf in anticipation of meeting him. Even then he was the biggest name in showbiz, the man who brought Thin Lizzy, U2 and others to Belfast when Belfast wasn’t exactly the Cultural Capital of the world. For this we all owe this quiet giant of a man a huge debt of thanks.
Anyway, I shouldn’t have worried about this first meeting as, in seconds, Jim had cleverly turned the tables on me. Before enquiring as to what I wanted he started talking to me about my life and how I was doing – putting me at ease and exchanging anecdotes about Newry where I’d grown up and where, no doubt, my parents had attended some of Jim’s first dances and gigs. Looking back at that meeting now I was pretty naive to say the least, but I know my youth was graciously excused. One thing I won’t forget about Jim from that first meeting is the fact that he was a man with great presence. You knew when he had entered the room, you knew you were with someone who had achieved great things, but had worked hard for all of it. It was at this time I also met Jim’s son Peter, who has remained a great friend over the years and is a huge credit to his father and the business.
I always got the feeling that Jim, although enormously successful, was a man who wouldn’t ask anyone to do anything he wouldn’t do himself. I remember going down to Slane to interview Jim the day before a gig. On arrival at the castle, I enquired as to his whereabouts and was told to head down to the front of the stage where I found Jim standing in front of the stage covered in mud, wearing wellington boots, and unloading some flooring off a forklift tractor. For me that just about said it all about a man who could mix with presidents, prime ministers, rock stars and more, but fundamentally remained a man of the people, a man of integrity, a man who didn’t mind getting his hands dirty.
As much as Jim was the man who opened up Croke Park to rock ’n’ roll, let us not forget he was the man who built an enormous stage beside Carson’s statue on the lawns of Stormont Buildings and invited Elton John to don his best party frock for a Belfast audience who could hardly believe what was happening. Jim gave Northern Ireland an opportunity to smile during the dark days and an opportunity to experience what others elsewhere took for granted. He created positive events and images in this part of the world at a time when there was more than enough misery.
Although I came across Jim on many occasions, I remember one particular gig with affection. It wasn’t a super-group or some massive arena happening, but an intimate evening with Tony Bennett in Belfast’s Ulster Hall. Jim and Peter had kindly granted the BBC permission to record the show. This was a special evening with the last of the great crooners, an evening for lovers and people who remembered a time when a great song spoke for itself and melody was king. I remember observing Jim and his beautiful wife Anne at the show, enjoying the music, the moment and the company of good friends.
After the show I asked both Jim and Anne to the BBC truck to hear the recording. Later, they stayed on to thank the BBC crew and my colleague John Lunn, who recorded the show. We were all really moved and touched, Tony Bennett was one thing, but Jim and Anne were a class double act. They left the truck smiling, hand in hand, with the songs of Tony Bennett still playing in their heads. I remember thinking, Jim shouldn’t be thanking us, we should be thanking him.

NED O’HANLON (Solotoo, TV & DVD producers)
I first worked with Jim around 1986 when he put on what seemed like 100 Chris de Burgh shows at the RDS. We were there to shoot a concert film for Chris and attended every (identical) show. As anyone will tell you, promoters all over the world hate to see film crews showing up at their gigs. They create complete havoc, want to kill seats, re-light the show, demand endless space for offices and generally be a pain in the arse.
Jim Aiken was the exception to this rule. He was always most courteous and helpful, no matter how difficult or bizarre the request. ‘No problem’, is how I remember him. ‘If it has to be done, it has to be done.’ Immensely practical in all matters, he always had a positive attitude in sorting out difficulties. It’s a legacy he has left behind in Aiken Promotions and one which serves them very well.
I have one vivid memory from Rome at the World Cup finals, with Jim and Peter in the back of our bus, Jim sporting a fetching green Darby O’Gill felt hat. After the match, our bus was moving to clear the crowds when Jim spotted some of our party running behind the bus. He opened the back door and roared ‘Run’! One of those runners had never met Jim but, once securely on board, turned to thank the big man for the helping hand. ‘No problem’, Jim said with a big grin. That’s the kind of guy he was.

TONY O’BRIEN (Tony O’Brien Communications)
On the press trip to New York to see U2 make their Madison Square Garden debut in 1985, Jim acted as ‘Daddy’ to myself, Dave Fanning, Joe Breen of the Irish Times and others. He made sure we ate properly, and as a devout Catholic was also concerned about our spiritual welfare, and on the Saturday night in NYC in his wonderful warm Northern accent declared to a party more intent on partying: ‘Mass is in St. Patrick’s Cathedral at 10 o’clock tomorrow morning, although I don’t suppose ye boys will be too worried about that!’
Jim was so highly regarded by members of the media that we wanted to say thanks for the trip which had been organised to announce U2’s first Croke Park show, but we knew that Big Jim wouldn’t accept any kind of gift. So we decided to make a gesture to his wife Anne and express our gratitude that way instead. Myself and Caroline Erskine from RTÉ were dispatched to Bloomingdale’s with a fistful of dollars to buy a handbag for Mrs. Aiken. The gesture brought a broad smile on Jim’s face.

MAURICE CASSIDY (57th Street Productions)
Jim and I were close personal friends since we met back in the ‘60s, when he started promoting concerts in Belfast and I was involved with showbands. Later we had other business connections through our radio station involvement and the ticketing business.
“What I most appreciated Jim for was the availability, to me, of the wisdom he was blessed with. I think that came from his origins in the agricultural community of South Armagh as well as his studies in Maynooth, and his teaching. He always had the eye for making a dollar, but never to the extent that it interfered with his values.
“Although Jim not only liked making money, it’s not widely known that he liked giving it too, and he gave a lot of it away to charitable organisations and to individuals. Not that he would ever tell you about it, or that he was a soft touch. You had to have a convincing story. He made money primarily to look after his family. A lot of people are focusing on his contribution to the music industry, but I think his values as a man are more important. He was a great travelling companion, a great visionary and I’ll miss him enormously.

TOMMY HIGGINS (Ticketmaster UK and Ireland)
I’ve had many dealings with Jim over the years, but my abiding memory goes back to our very first meeting in 1969. I was playing with a band called the Smoky Mountain Ramblers and Jim booked us for a gig in the Starlight in Belfast. Trouble erupted on the day of the gig and the police were all over the place and didn’t want to let us through or for the gig to go ahead at all. But Jim went and talked to the head of the police and persuaded him. Not only did we play but we got paid as well, not always the case in those days. Later, when the gig was over, Jim insisted on escorting us safely back onto the motorway before we headed for home.
I learned three things from Jim that night that have remained with me all my life. He showed a calm strength in the face of a difficult situation. He was scrupulously honest in paying us exactly what we had agreed. And he had a basic decency to ensure that we were safe. These were great lessons about life for a young person like myself to learn, and I’ve never forgotten them. Jim Aiken was a great man, and he’ll be badly missed by the music industry as well as by his family, who were so important to him.

DERMOT HANRAHAN (Red FM)
I met Jim when I was drafted into FM 104, then called Rock 104. He was on the board then, and I had the most difficult task of telling them that their recent heavy investment in attempting to rescue the station had failed and put another proposal to them that was going to cost more money. I’ll always appreciate the fact that Jim backed me on that, despite the fact that I had no radio experience, having come from the retail sector and we went on to become involved in Red FM together as well.
He seemed to have the right gut instincts, and to back individuals he believed in. Board meetings at Red FM will probably be shorter but duller from here on, because Jim was in the habit of digressing from the point for long stretches of time, so we all had to wait until he came back to it! He recently was part of a syndicate that bought a horse and they called it Write This Down. That came from his regular habit at board meetings of prodding the table with his finger and instructing us to ‘write this down’ – which we did, because it was always worthwhile. Without a doubt he’s one of the three people who have had the most influence on my life. Any time I thought of the character Balou in Jungle Book, I thought of Jim, the guy with the tough exterior but all soft inside. He was kind and decent and his word was his bond in an industry now full of contracts and lawyers. He will be greatly missed.