Claude Nobs, founder and organizer of the Montreux Jazz Festival died after a ski accident.

[www.bbc.co.uk]

[www.montreuxjazz.com]


Claude Nobs (†76) ist tot. «Du hast uns am Donnerstag 10. Januar verlassen», schreibt das Team des Montreux Jazz Festival auf ihrer Webseite. «Wenige Tage nach deinem Unfall in den Bergen, die du so liebtest». Claude Nobs, Gründer des Festivals, stürzte bei einer Langlauftour. Der Unfall machte eine Operation im Universitätsspital Lausanne nötig. Danach ist er nicht aus der Narkose erwacht.
Claude Nobs organisierte das erste Konzert der Rolling Stones ausserhalb von Grossbritannien, er schaffte es, Musik-Grössen wie Deep Purple, Queen oder Frank Zappa in die Schweiz zu holen. 2010 gab er nach 43 Jahren die operative Leitung des Montreux Jazz Festivals ab, die strategische Leitung behielt er.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2013-01-11 08:36 by Sjouke.

I guess he shouldn't have gone ski-ing. I mean, when you're 76, is it wise to ski?

Mathijs

Well, to be precise, it was lang-lauf...

"Funky Claude" has joined the great gig in the sky...

He was a visionary as he video-taped ALL the shows that were played at the Montreux festival (minus the usual old farts Dylan and Prince who said no fearing bootlegging...).

He explained that in the 70's artists and band management thought he was crazy when he said he wanted to keep a visual track of their perf...

rip claude, a true music lover!

God Bless him - the last of the true promoters...

RIP

I will always remember seeing the picture of him inside the record sleeve of Deep Purple's Machine Head when I was 9 years old.

Quote
Mathijs
I guess he shouldn't have gone ski-ing. I mean, when you're 76, is it wise to ski?

Mathijs

Ok to be precise it was cross-country skiing. He fell badly and after surgery he never woke up from his Koma.

But Mathijs why not skiing or snowboarding with 76 if it makes you happy. I know a bass player who still has fun playing bass and even came for two songs to his former famous band to play with them two songs.

I am "only" turning 54 and might be one of the older Snowboarders on the mountain, but heaven today was wonderful freaking cold and gorgious tree runs with powder one can only dream of. And if I am fit and got the guts I will do that even on the last day am 90 rather than dying on the couch. For it's only Rock and Roll....

I have no idea who he is but he had a great name.

RIP.

Quote
GravityBoy
I have no idea who he is but he had a great name.

RIP.

I was the creator of the Montreux Jazz Festival.

And the "Funky Claude" of Deep Purple's Smoke On The Water.

I loved how he agreed to release the Miles Davis recordings at Montreaux: it highlighted that Miles was still making challenging music in the 80s.

Sad news. Hope he went the way he wanted to. I think he was a great man with a passion for music. A serious loss to the music world.

Deep Purple's Machine Head at Montreux-Great Doc
RIP

Claude Nobs, founder and general manager of the famous Montreux Jazz Festival, 2006
Born February 4, 1936
Montreux, Switzerland
Died January 10, 2013 (aged 76)
Lausanne, Switzerland

Claude Nobs (born in Montreux, Switzerland, February 4, 1936 – January 10, 2013) was the founder and general manager of the Montreux Jazz Festival.
Biography
Nobs introducing the Bill Evans Trio at Montreux Jazz Festival, July 12, 1978 (photo: Brian McMillen)

After apprenticing as a cook, Nobs worked in the Tourism Office of Montreux. He later went to New York, where he met Nesuhi Ertegün, the then-president of Atlantic Records. He also met Roberta Flack and invited her to the Rose d’Or de Montreux. Later, Aretha Franklin made her first visit to Europe thanks to him.

At the age of 31, while he was director of the Tourism Office of Montreux, he organized the first jazz festival featuring artists such as Charles Lloyd, Keith Jarrett, Ron McLure and Jack DeJohnette. This new festival was an immediate success, and gained a reputation far beyond Switzerland. Nobs quickly transformed his festival into an international gathering place for lovers of jazz.

In 1971, Deep Purple decided to produce and record their album Machine Head in Montreux. The group was also scheduled to record at the Montreux Casino, shortly after Frank Zappa performed. During Zappa's concert, the venue caught fire and reduced the Casino to ashes. Nobs saved several young people who had hidden in the casino, thinking they would be sheltered from the flames. This act earned him a mention (as Funky Claude in the line Funky Claude was running in and out pulling kids out the ground) in the song "Smoke on the Water", which is about the incident. Also, on the inner liner of the original album, Nobs' picture was the only one labeled with a name other than those of the band members themselves.

In 1973, Nobs became the director of the Swiss branch of Warner, Elektra and Atlantic. On the live Jethro Tull album Bursting Out (recorded on 28 May 1978 in Bern), one can hear Nobs announcing "...herzlich willkommen in der Festhalle Bern!" (Welcome to the Festhall of Bern).

During the 1990s, Nobs shared the directorship of the festival with Quincy Jones, and made Miles Davis an honorary host. The festival continued to diversify and was no longer exclusively devoted to jazz.

In 2004, the festival attracted 200,000 visitors. On 25 September 2004, Nobs received the Tourism Prize of Salz & Pfeffer. The canton of Vaud gave him the "Prix du Rayonnement" for his contributions to music. He has also received an honorary doctorate.

Nobs played harmonica on the opening track of the 1983 Chris Rea album Water Sign.

On 24 December 2012, he had an accident while nordic skiing in Switzerland and fell into a coma. Nobs died on January 10th, 2013. He was 76.

Funky Claude pulled kids out the ground. For that line he is a rock legend and immortalised forever.

Claude Nobs has played key role in Rolling Stones life.

He was the first one to invite the Rolling Stones outside UK, back in 1964.

The Rolling Stones performed a memorable show April 24th 1964 at the Golden Rose annual television broadcasting event, together with the English singer.... Petula Clark.
This was in the beginning of their fame, and the songs "Mona", "Route 66" and "Not Fade Away" were already in the charts.


Rolling Stones at the Golden Rose Festival Montreux 1964


Rolling Stones by the lake side in Montreux 1964

In 1970 Led Zep played a few shows billed as the Nobs...

[en.wikipedia.org]

Very sad news RIP Funky Claude

Quote
Grison

Quote
Mathijs
I guess he shouldn't have gone ski-ing. I mean, when you're 76, is it wise to ski?

Mathijs

Ok to be precise it was cross-country skiing. He fell badly and after surgery he never woke up from his Koma.

But Mathijs why not skiing or snowboarding with 76 if it makes you happy. I know a bass player who still has fun playing bass and even came for two songs to his former famous band to play with them two songs.

I am "only" turning 54 and might be one of the older Snowboarders on the mountain, but heaven today was wonderful freaking cold and gorgious tree runs with powder one can only dream of. And if I am fit and got the guts I will do that even on the last day am 90 rather than dying on the couch. For it's only Rock and Roll....

Never too old to ski and snowboard. I just spent two lovely weeks on the slopes and although I am not the hot dogger I once was, I still enjoyed the double black diamond runs and fresh powder like a giddy teenager. peace

..he was a friend of the Stones....It's was around Montreux they learned "first LP" was Number one in UK...

Just for your history notes:
When the Stones played in Lausanne in 2007 Claude Nobs invited them to his home in near Gstaad for lunch. It was on local news around Lake and in some of the Swiss Newspaper. The Stones enjoyed the time so much that at least we have been given one of the best stadium concerts during the ABB Tour. Midnight Rambler was freaking. And for most of the people it was a free sure by sponsored by a Swiss Supermarket Chain to collect points.

But back to Nobs: I hope the Montreux Jazz Festival will continue in his means. You never get so close to stars like the and the city is vibrant during the time.