John Alfred Rubey, a longtime live-events exec who was the first CEO of Fathom Events, held senior posts at AEG units and helped book the 1983 US Festival mega-concert during a nearly 50-year career, has died. He was 73.
His family confirmed the news but not provide a cause or date of death, other than to say it was recently.
Known to family and friends as Roger and “Uncle Roger,” Rubey was born on October 5, 1951, in Evergreen Park, IL. In 1977, he joined famed promoter Barry Fey’s Feyline Productions in Denver. During the next decade he rose to VP and treasurer as the company booked the legendary “Mothership” tour starring George Clinton’s Parliament-Funkadelic along with concert jaunts by such big-name acts as The Grateful Dead, Santana and Willie Nelson.
He and Fey also booked Steve Wozniak’s massive multi-day 1983 US Festival in Southern California, which drew such top acts as David Bowie, Van Halen, Fleetwood Mac, The Clash, Ozzy Osbourne, a just-rising U2 and many others.
After leaving Feyline in 1987, Rubey went on to found Spring Communications; serve as COO of PACE Management; and become president of AEG-TV and AEG Network Live, producing and distributing live concerts and special events around the world. While at AEG, he helped create new digital content distribution models and partnerships to fund and monetize music and event content including worldwide cinema, television, DVD, online and mobile outlets such as the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Global Citizen Festival, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits and others.
He also executed the first live 3D-to-cinema events featuring the likes of Bon Jovi, Garth Brooks, Phish, Black Eyed Peas and Katy Perry for Paramount. In that vein, Rubey distributed the 2009 Michael Jackson Memorial Service globally on all digital and broadcast devices.
Later in his career, Rubey became the first CEO of Fathom Events, which became Fathom Entertainment, the world’s largest live cinema broadcast network. While there, he championed innovative theater events such as Mayweather Boxing, Grateful Dead Fare Thee Well, Woody Harrelson’s Lost in London and other live events. He also led contract negotiations with The Walt Disney Company, Disney Theatrical Group The Metropolitan Opera, Turner Classic Movies and others. Under his guidance, Fathom Events grew attendance by 120%, driving revenues up by 92% and delivering bottom-line profitability during a period of industry decline.
During his career, Rubey won some 60 2D and 3D Telly Awards, which celebrate excellence in video and television across all screens, along with honors from the International 3D Society, Hollywood 3D Film Festival and others
Rubey is survived by his wife, Donna, along with his siblings, nieces, nephews and extended family.
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