A prolific and gifted songwriter who was the architect of MAGNUM’s sound, Tony Clarkin passed away peacefully after a short illness, surrounded by his daughters on Sunday 7th January, 2024.
On Tuesday, January 9, 2024, the news was confirmed in a statement written by Tony Clarkin’s daughter, Dionne, and shared on MAGNUM’s official social media channels:
“I know that Tony has touched so many people through his music in so many different ways. I don’t really have words to express what he meant to me right now as the grief is too fresh. As many of you know Tony had a great affinity with animals. It is the family’s intention to set up a charitable trust in his name to aid this cause, further details to follow. Please do not send flowers or cards, as he would have much preferred expressions of sympathy to go to charity in this way. It was a privilege to call him my Dad.”
Olly Hahn, product manager at MAGNUM’s label, SPV/Steamhammer, was among the first to pay tribute to Tony Clarkin:
“We at SPV/Steamhammer are devastated about the passing of Tony,” said Hahn. “We can’t believe that he’s gone. For 22 years the whole team and I had the pleasure to work with him, 22 years of fantastic music, trust and loyalty. We are forever grateful for this. Rest in peace, Tony!”
Just before Christmas, MAGNUM announced the cancellation of their upcoming European tour, revealing that Clarkin had been diagnosed with a rare spinal condition. On December 18, 2023, Tony Clarkin released the following message via social media:
“Over the past year or so I’ve been bothered by increasingly bad pains in my neck and head. For a long time the docs couldn’t work out why, but now they’ve found out and it’s gonna mean some changes. This is not gonna be the end of MAGNUM, but the future might have to be a bit different, so please bear with us while we try and figure out what I can and can’t do moving forward.”
Everyone in THE GALLERY’s team, gives condolences to Tony’s family, friends, and fans. Rest in peace.
