Warren “Waz” Costello, a kingpin of Australia’s unbiased label trade, died Sunday (Could 29) after a battle with most cancers. He was 64.
Costello co-founded Liberation Data with the late Mushroom Group founder Michael Gudinski, and remained one in all Gudinski’s closest and most trusted allies till his personal passing in March 2021.
The Mushroom household is “deeply saddened by the passing of Warren Costello after a protracted battle with sickness,” reads an announcement from the indie music firm.
Since becoming a member of the label division “he has been a vital cloth of life at Mushroom. He was a real music man, a beloved buddy to our artists and integral to the success of our enterprise over the previous three many years,” the message continues. “Warren was famend for his optimistic power, integrity and household values, all of which are actually etched into the DNA of Mushroom without end.”
Based mostly in Melbourne, Costello joined Gudinski’s unbiased music large in 1990, exiting in 1999 following the sale of Mushroom Data to Rupert Murdoch’s Information Corp.
He returned to the fold in March 2000, when he joined forces with Gudinski to launch Mushroom Group’s Liberation label, and later, as managing director of the indie powerhouse’s label actions.
In 2017, Costello and Gudinski co-founded the Bloodlines label, providing artistic providers to its steady of heritage acts. Bloodlines has had a number of No. 1s on the ARIA Albums Chart, together with Jimmy Barnes’ Flesh And Blood, the title observe for which Barnes devoted to Gudinski on the late trade legend’s state memorial.
Waz, as he was affectionately recognized, was revered throughout the trade, a very good man and a quiet achiever in a sea of chest-thumpers. All through his profession, he confirmed a knack for recognizing a chance. In August of 2021, he launched Mushroom Group’s new movie distribution and manufacturing firm, Lengthy Play Music Movies.
With Lengthy Play, “we’re positioning ourselves as a car to inform the tales, the actual tales and hopefully utilizing a variety of pre-existing footage, moderately than taking pictures from scratch,” Costello advised this reporter on the time. “There’s a variety of gold on the market, sitting in archives and file firm cabinets and warehouses.”
The concept for that enterprise was workshopped with Gudinski “proper up till simply earlier than he handed,” he defined. “We had been attempting to cook dinner up concepts, ones that will complement one another, and this was one in all them. I’m fairly decided to see it via.”
A number of months later, Costello stepped right down to deal with his well being and spend time with household.
Costello is survived by his spouse Leith, three daughters Caitlin, Alex and Hannah, and grandson Finn.
