Jonathan Mayers, the live-music executive who co-founded the groundbreaking festivals Outside Lands and Bonnaroo and the promoter Superfly Entertainment, has died. He was 51.
Mayers’ former partners at Superfly released a statement to Billboard: “We are heartbroken with the passing of Jonathan. He was a cherished part of Superfly’s story, woven into its history and legacy. In addition to the role he’s played in bringing joy to millions, we will miss his razor sharp wit, infectious smile and contagious laugh. No one could light up a room like Jon.”
They did not give a cause of death.
Mayers’ flagship events helped usher in the modern era of American music festivals. Pairing a distinct jam-band sensibility with wide-ranging tastes in pop, electronic, hip-hop and rock, these loose-vibed, meticulously curated events built on the legacies of shows like Woodstock and Lollapalooza to become cultural fixtures in the newly ascendant U.S. festival scene of the 2000s.
After attending Tulane University and falling in love with New Orleans’ jazz scene, Mayers co-founded the promotion company Superfly Entertainment in 1996. Six years later, the company produced the first installment of Bonnaroo, on a farm site an hour outside of Nashville, with headliners like Phish’s Trey Anastasio and Phil Lesh and Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead to set their psychedelic, freewheeling reputation.
The fest sold out its first year and became a key stop on the seasonal festival circuit, famous for its collaborative “superjams” between top acts and drawing one-of-a-kind sets that incldued D’Angelo’s long-awaited return to live stages and the final show from the Beastie Boys. Headliners included Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, Metallica and countless more. In 2015, Live Nation acquired a controlling stake in the festival.
In 2008, he worked with local promoter Another Planet to found Outside Lands in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, another ambitiously mixed-genre fest that grew to become a peer of Coachella’s in Northern California. Representatives for Another Planet told Billboard that “Jonathan was a bright light, always pushing new and creative ideas in the entertainment space,” they said. “He was a visionary who was integral in the founding and the spirit of Outside Lands. Everyone in the Another Planet family will miss him dearly.”
Mayers’ other major festivals included Vegoose in Las Vegas and Clusterfest, a comedy and film festival.
Mayers’ tenure at Superfly ended in 2021, after a contentious period with its co-founders. In early 2022, Mayers sued the company’s executives, accusing them of civil misrepresentation, breach of contract and fraud. A judge dismissed the suit in 2023.
His last project was Core City Detroit, which sought to invest in housing and cultural facilities in the city beloved for its R&B and electronic music.
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