U2’s veteran tour manager Dennis Sheehan was found dead this morning in his LA hotel room. Paramedics were called to the Marquis Hotel in West Hollywood at 5:30 a.m., according to Variety, and he was pronounced dead on the scene. The loss came just hours after the Irish rock group played the first of five shows at the LA Forum. Sheehan was 68 years old.
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“We’ve lost a family member, we’re still taking it in,” said Bono in a statement on their website. “He wasn’t just a legend in the music business, he was a legend in our band. He is irreplaceable.”
Sheehan served as the tour manager for the band for over 30 years, initially joining the team in the early ’80s. “U2 were looking for a tour manager, they had two albums out and were about to bring out the War album,” he said in a past interview. “I joined them and we haven’t looked back ever since.”
The music business veteran was born in Ireland, played in a band in his teens, and shortly thereafter began his professional career. In addition to U2, he worked with Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, and Led Zeppelin. In 2008, Sheehan was awarded the Parnelli Lifetime Achievement Award, a prestigious honor for those in the live event business.
“With profound sadness we confirm that Dennis Sheehan, U2’s longstanding tour manager and dear friend to us all, has passed away overnight. Our heartfelt sympathy is with his wonderful family,” added Live Nation CEO Arthur Fogel.
The loss is another bump on the rocky road U2 has tread as of late, including a November bike accident in which Bono shattered his eye socket and broke his arm in six places. U2 will continue on, however, finishing their LA run of shows this week as part of a tour that is scheduled to continue through July 31.
