Rich and famous converge to celebrate life of entertainment giant ...
Throughout his half-century of showmanship, the late television, sport, showbiz and entertainment executive Brian Walsh aimed for one thing: a sold-out show.
On Monday morning, as hundreds of mourners walked past a coffin adorned in white lilies, orchids and delphiniums, which basked in the refracted light pouring through the stained-glass windows of St Marys Cathedral, he was granted a final full house.
As Father Tom Stevens invited the packed crowd to “pull up a pew”, the life of one of Australia’s most influential entertainment pioneers was celebrated in a moving requiem mass that saw the worlds of big business, politics, television, sport, radio, film and showbiz converge to honour the 67-year-old man who had influenced so many careers, from Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan as teenagers on Neighbours, to signing Tina Turner to sing for the NRL.
His relationships with those he worked with went well beyond the professional. Global corporate heavyweight Lachlan Murdoch and wife Sarah, the former supermodel who hosted Australia’s Next Top Model for Walsh’s Foxtel, were in the front of the cathedral to pay their respects. Walsh had become so close to the couple he was made godfather to their 12-year-old daughter Aerin.
From cast members of Beauty and the Beast including Prue MacSween and Maggie Tabberer, to the cast of The Real Housewives of Sydney, Wentworth and so many more, they came to farewell a man who had been a central player in so many high-profile careers, but as his sister Bernadette told the congregation, had never sought the limelight for himself.
The funeral booklet for Brian Walsh at St Mary’s Cathedral.Credit:Kate Geraghty
“He was happy to sit back and see his creations come to life,” Bernadette said, recalling their childhood in Kingsgrove and the annual Christmas extravaganza Walsh would organise for their family in the garden shed, complete with programs, a candy bar and the all-important sponsors, usually his father’s work.
Sitting among the pews were actors Simon Burke and Susie Porter, television personalities Deborah Hutton and Richard Wilkins, fashion designer Collette Dinnigan, film critic Margaret Pomeranz, media veterans John Hartigan and Col Allan, 2GB host Ben Fordham, and the man he replaced, Alan Jones, Sunday Telegraph editor Mick Carroll, former NRL boss David Gallop, Antonia and Janelle Kidman, Channel Ten showbiz reporter Angela Bishop, Nine newsreader Peter Overton and wife Jessica Rowe, and former senator Graham Richardson. Even his society hairdresser Joh Bailey was there.
Walsh, 67, was found dead after collapsing following an unspecified medical episode in his Potts Point apartment on March 16.
His friend of 40 years’ standing, television producer Graham “Shadow” McNeice, had gone to Walsh’s home, where he lived alone, after Walsh failed to arrive at a scheduled business meeting.
The shock of his unexpected death was felt deeply among Walsh’s large circle of friends, family and colleagues during Monday’s emotional service. During his eulogy McNeice summed it up best, declaring for many people their “North Star” had suddenly disappeared.
Walsh’s career connected him to everyone from the young stars of Neighbours to Hugh Jackman.Credit:JANIE BARRETT
After the funeral service, some 600 of Walsh’s family, friends and colleagues gathered inside the vast Stage 2 at what was once called Fox Studios – but is now operated by the Disney corporation – for a “Celebration” of his life. With many of Walsh’s friends overseas, special video tributes were screened.
Nicole Kidman talked about Walsh helping launch her career when she landed the role in the Vietnam mini-series in 1987, only to then become a part of her “family”. Hugh Jackman teared up from his home in New York where he and wife Deborra-Lee Furness talked about the impact Walsh had on their lives as a mentor, friend and party host. Jackman offering “I lost count of how many times I had to carry Deb out of those parties”, causing the sombre room to break into laughter.
Lachlan and Sarah Murdoch spoke of their deep personal connection with Walsh, Sarah later wiping away tears, before the VIP crowd that also included former Sony boss Dennis Handlin, News Corp global chief executive officer Robert Thomson and veteran showbiz publicist Wendy Day.
Jason Donovan took the stage to talk about the third wheel Walsh had become with his co-star and girlfriend Kylie Minogue during their teenager years on Neighbours. He recalled a story about Walsh calling Qantas, telling them to keep a plane on the tarmac in Perth so the lovebirds could get back to Melbourne in time for their next shoot.
Backed by a full orchestra, moving performances from David Campbell and Donovan, and a haunting rendition of Simply The Best, sung by Ruva Ngwenya who is about to play Tina Turner in the megabudget Tina musical, left barely a dry eye.
It was a fitting venue for Walsh’s farewell. He orchestrated the movie studio’s huge launch party for Rupert Murdoch nearly a quarter of a century ago, enlisting Minogue to recreate Marylin Monroe’s iconic Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend routine. She happily obliged.
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Walsh also kept an office there, able to witness first-hand the creation of countless showbiz hits, from Moulin Rouge to The Matrix and Star Wars. Certainly, a far cry from the Walsh family’s Kingsgrove garden shed.
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