Vancouver's music community is remembering Clyde Hill, a longtime concert booking agent, band manager and music presenter who battled pancreatic cancer before his death Saturday (Aug. 17) at Laurel Place, a hospice in Surrey.
Originally from Chicago, Hill made his mark in the 1990s when he first worked with young rock bands including Nickelback, Noise Therapy, Jar/Flybanger and many others over the years with Amar Management and, later, promotions company Magnetized Productions.
Quick with a joke and always ready to rock concert-goers, the Surrey resident was a fixture on the Vancouver music scene for 30-plus years, and had celebrated his 66th birthday just days before his passing.
On July 27 some bands performed at Vancouver's Rickshaw Theatre during Busterfest, a tribute to Hill and benefit concert that raised more than $18,000 for him and his family. "Today, we can proudly say that Busterfest will be able to fully cover all of the expenses for our friend Clyde Hill’s final arrangements," says a post on the website for the event, organized by Tommy Mac and Mike Johnston.
Hill began his musical journey playing guitar in the fledgling Chicago funk outfit Power Band (later named Rama), which toured Japan in the 1980s before Hill moved to Canada.
The Busterfest concert took its name from Hill's nickname, Buster, for which he was immortalized in Hey Buster, a 1996 song recorded by Noise Therapy.
A funeral for Hill is planned at 1pm Monday, Aug. 26 at Valley View Funeral Home on 72nd Avenue in Surrey.
