FRESNO, CA (CelebrityAccess) — Gary Dean Smith, co-founder of the music industry trade publication Pollstar, has died. He was 77.
According to Pollstar, Smith died unexpectedly at his home in Fresno on January 20th. Additional details about the cause of death were not disclosed.
Smith, who, along with Gary Bongiovanni, co-founded Pollstar in 1981 as the Promoter On Line Listings, providing contact information and box office scores to the live events industry.
Smith remained at the helm of the publication until the company’s sale to Oak View Group in 2017.
Along with founding Pollstar, Smith was no stranger to the live events industry and previously served as a concert promoter and artist manager, working with acts such as Average White Band, Tower of Power, and The Guess Who, Pollstar reported.
Smith was also the founder of industry events such as the Concert Industry Consortium, which is now known as Pollstar Live!
“Gary was a mentor and a buddy, and I miss him,” stated Larry LeBlanc, senior editor at CelebrityAccess.
