Rock icon behind AC/DC tours Garry Van Egmond dies aged 82

The Australian music promoter worked closely with multiple rock bands including Dire Straits and Thunderstruck icons AC/DC, died on Saturday.

His entertainment company, TEG, confirmed the sad news on Monday.

Van Egmond died from complications after undergoing surgery.

The Melbourne native made his name working with some of the biggest names in the industry, and is believed to have sold over 35 million tickets for shows during his career.

TEG Group CEO Geoff Jones shared a heartfelt tribute to Van Egmond in a statement, praising the ‘valued colleague’ who was ‘a thoroughly decent person’.

He called him a ‘resounding artist with the highest integrity’ adding ‘his legacy will stand the test of time’.

Van Egmond was behind some of the biggest-ever concerts in Australia: Dire Straits in 1986, Jesus Christ Superstar in 1992, Riverdance in 1997 and AC/DC in 2010.

The Dire Straits tour saw a whopping 250,000 eats sold in Sydney alone — a feat which made the Guinness Book of Records.

And 2010’s AC/DC concert became the fastest-selling concert in Australian history, selling over 520,000 tickets in just under three hours.

The TEG Van Egmond group will continue to be run by Van Egmond’s son, Christo.

He said in a statement that he would always remember his father as a ‘true gentleman… highly regarded and respected by artists, managers, agents and everyone he worked with,’ according to Billboard.

‘He was a superb mentor to me and I have enjoyed working with him for nearly 30 years.

‘He was a fantastic father and friend to me and will be missed dearly by his family, friends, and colleagues.’