Ken West Biography – Ken West Wiki
Ken West was an Australian entertainer and the co-founder of Big Day Out. Big Day Out is an iconic, ground-breaking music festival in Australia. With his Big Day Out co-founder, Vivian Lees, the pair started the festival in 1992 as a one-off event in Sydney. It ran for another 22 years, expanding to include iterations in Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, and the Gold Coast, as well as Auckland, and New Zealand.
The deceased organized the first Big Day Out for January 1992 at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion. It featured 21 bands, headlined by Violent Femmes, and most famously featured Nirvana at the peak of their Nevermind fame, as part of their only ever Australian tour. The festival soon became a roadshow and was soon staged across six cities every summer. The headliners of the show included Neil Young, Metallica, Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kanye West, Muse, Pearl Jam, and The White Stripes, and its undercard was always jammed with dozens of the hottest acts on the planet at that time.
Earlier on in 2022, West launched a website to celebrate 30 years since the inaugural event, sharing old festival posters and chapters from a memoir. In them, he reflected on his experiences as a Big Day Out co-founder, retelling stories from the festival’s early days.
Ken West Age
He died on Thursday, April 7, 2022, in his sleep in Australia. He was 64 years at the time of his demise.
Ken West Wife
He was married and is survived by his wife Cathy West. The couple has one son.
Ken West Children
He leaves behind his son Oliver.
Ken West Death
West died on the morning of Thursday, April 7, 2022. He was 64 years, His family confirmed the news in a statement to The Cardinal Facts, writing: “We bring unfortunate news that Ken West; a father, husband, mentor and most of all a legend, has passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of April 7, 2022. Our family would appreciate respect and privacy during this difficult time. Ken was big and noisy in life, but passed quietly and peacefully.” No cause of death has yet been disclosed.
Australian journalist and former music-show host Osher Günsberg wrote a heartfelt post on Instagram. “It’s difficult to put into words the effect Ken West had on music and culture in this country. At Not even 34 years old, he booked Sydney’s then Easter Showgrounds, booked Nirvana, and alongside Viv Lees created the Big Day Out,” he wrote. “I remain forever inspired by his ability to relentlessly drive to precisely execute the ideas in his mind by enrolling hundreds of people around him in the ‘why’, which in turn inspired them into working incredible hours to bring those ideas to life. There will never be another Ken West. But we can all strive to come close to his ability to manifest his incredible visions into a reality that literally hundreds of thousands of people could play in.”
Ken West Cause of Death
No cause of death has been given. He died on Thursday, April 7, 2022, while in his sleep. He was 64 years at the time of his demise.
Ken West Instagram
His Instagram handle is unavailable. Big Day Out’s Twitter handle is @bigdayout.
