Robert Stigwood, who was known as the manager of the pop group the Bee Gees has died at the age of 81.
As well as managing the ’70s band, the Australian impresario produced several hit musicals, including Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar. Moving into theatre in 1968 the Robert Stigwood Organisation staged Hair in London after Stigwood saw it on Broadway.
He bought the rights to Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar and produced the film of Saturday Night Fever starring John Travolta.
Stigwood also produced Grease and pulled off the Golden Globe Award-winning 1997 film adaptation of Evita starring Madonna.
As well as managing the Bee Gees, the producer also represented Eric Clapton. One of his first successes was with English singer John Leyton, whose song “Johnny Remember Me” spent four weeks at number one in 1961.
Andrew Lloyd Webber took to Twitter to remember his colleague, calling him ‘the great showman who taught me so much’.