Fieldings to sell collection of tour manager the late Dee McLoughlin

Included in our forthcoming camera, vinyl and memorabilia auction is a tour manager's private collection

The estate of the late Dee McLoughlin 1951 - 2023

 Dee Mc Loughlin, who worked with the likes of MCP Promotions, ITB and SJM, and had long associations with Simply Red, Sisters of Mercy, Marillion, Neil Young, The Chemical Brothers, Scorpions and, most notably, Crowded House.

Born Derrig Mc Loughlin in the coastal town of Dún Laoghaire, Ireland, he was educated in nearby Blackrock, where he attended the same school as Bob Geldof.

He left his homeland for England in the late 1960s and enrolled in the Royal Air Force.

A huge live music fan, having explored all the UK festivals of the 70s with his first wife, Jackie, Dee became part of the security team at Birmingham Odeon – the region’s premier venue during the 70s and 80s. It was there that he met Paul Ward and helped to form the Birmingham Stage Crew, a tight and organised unit that served the venue and others in the area. This brought Dee into wider contact with bands and promoters, notably the Walsall-based MCP Promotions who later became his employer in the late 1980s.

Keeping the talent happy was Dee’s obsession and his easy-going affability made him one of the most popular characters on the touring circuit as a rep and tour manager throughout his 40-plus-year career.

His proficiency and popularity led to him being requested by touring acts and he became a tour manager, responsible for guiding acts through airports, hotels and venues, travelling all over the world in the process. As a music fan he would pick up albums everywhere he had an opportunity to do so, many of which feature in this collection. 

Working with artists as varied as Anastacia, Simply Red, Billy Bragg, Bon Jovi, The Chemical Brothers, John Paul Jones and many more, he spent many tours with Crowded House, whom he came to think of as family. From 2006 to 2007 he lived in the home of Neil Finn when working for the singer and guitarist as his personal TM and part of the management team at Finn’s Roundhead Studios in Auckland, New Zealand.

As a result of his relationships and wanderlust, he spent a lot of time in Europe and America, particularly St Louis. His move to New Zealand, however, was curtailed by home-sickness for his small flat and the local community in Moseley, and he spent the rest of his days back in Birmingham.

Despite Dee’s advanced age he was eager to continue working and was saddened not to be able to complete tours with Judas Priest, and his beloved Crowded House, because of ill health, which prompted his retirement at the age of 72. One of his last TM roles was with Dexys, and he got on so well with the band that frontman Kevin Rowland tried to tempt him out of retirement to help with this year’s tour.

His love of music, & Led Zeppelin in particular, is evident in this collection, all proceeds are to be donated to his favoured charities and towards a memorial. 

To be sold via webcast auction 28th February 10am, (lots 186 - 342) viewing by appointment only 27th February 10am - 4pm.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE AUCTION

Posted on 20 February 2024 in: Auction life