I just heard that Tony Wilson passed away last night. I was a big fan of the bands produced under his label Factory Records and showcased at his Manchester club the Hacienda: The Happy Mondays, Joy Division and New Order, Durutti Column...
In 1976 he saw the Sex Pistols at the Manchester Lesser Free Trade Hall and immediately booked them for his music and culture show, "So It Goes". It was their first appearance on UK television.





In 2002 the movie 24 Hour Party People presented a dramatization of Tony's life and Manchester's pop music community from 1977 to 1997. He was diagnosed with cancer about a year ago and died of a heart attack last night in the hospital.