The Industry Gathers For A Memorial To Tom Rounds

Tom Rounds Remembered

The remarkable life of radio and rock festival pioneer and legend TOM ROUNDS ("TR") was celebrated last night in LOS ANGELES at Church of the Hills at Forest Lawn in HOLLYWOOD HILLS.

DOLLINGER STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION Principal LISA DOLLINGER described to ALL ACCESS, "The church was overflowing with hundreds of family members, friends and colleagues who paid respects to a much-loved and admired man who had a profound influence on the radio and music industry -- and everyone who had the great good fortune to know him. Speakers sharing fond memories and tributes included longtime friends and colleagues JOHN FLECK, MERRILL SHINDLER, CHUCK OLSEN, SHOTGUN TOM KELLY, DON BUSTANY, GEORGE BURNS, MEL LAWRENCE and RONA ELLIOTT. They each shared personal reflections of a common theme -- the passionate, storied and accomplished life of a modern-day Renaissance man who loved life, his family and friends, and radio."

"TR contributed to so many lives and changed the world and an industry with his fierce intelligence, wry humor, creativity, fearlessness, generosity, ethics, and heart," added DOLLINGER.  "His life revolved around the intersection of family, friends and colleagues, and he was remembered as a 'beautiful soul; an original with an amazing life, who was well loved and made such a difference in so many people's lives'. BURNS remembered TR as 'a visionary, mentor, raconteur and friend- but most of all, a friend'.  An accomplished pianist, sailor and avid gardener, he was called 'a gardener of people'. ELLIOTT honored 'his commitment to excellence in everything he did'. LAWRENCE brought laughter through tears as he recounted a few of TR's crazy radio promotions at POI in HONOLULU -- the 'Drum-a-Thon,' the 'Donkey Derby' (where TR rode around OAHU on a donkey), a three-day Bowl-a-Thon with TOM MOFFATT (TR won), the 'Insult-a-Thon' (where DJ's insulted each other -- this one ended quickly, as fights started to break out), and TR's setting the world record for sleeplessness (260 hours) in a local department store window. SHOTGUN TOM KELLY said, 'He changed the record industry. He put a lot of us on the map. We will carry TR in our hearts forever'."

TR loved music, and held a Music degree (and an English degree) from AMHERST COLLEGE. He was also an accomplished pianist and is acknowledged as the producer of the first rock festival in history. Fittingly, the music at the ceremony reflected this passion, including songs from THE BEATLES ("Here, There and Everwhere"), THE BEACH BOYS ("God Only Knows") and SCOTT MCKENZIE ("San Francisco"), with TR's favorites from VIVALDI and CHOPIN, and some jazz piano and NORAH JONES for good measure.

TR's obituary ran in the L.A. TIMES here.

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