Smash Hits magazine legend Barry McIlheney has died in Spain aged 65 - he also edited Q, Melody Maker, Empire and Heat
Magazine legend Barry McIlheney - famous for editing titles including Smash Hits, Empire and Heat - has died in Spain at the age of 65.
A former editor of pop culture magazines Smash Hits and Empire has passed away aged 65. Barry McIlheney, who oversaw a raft of culture magazines in the UK throughout the 80s and 90s, died at home in Spain on Monday (May 26), his family has confirmed.
Belfast-born Barry has been hailed a 'legend' of the magazine industry in the UK, having edited and written for a host of famous names, from Q to Melody Maker, Empire and Heat.
Confirming the sad news of his passing, Barry's brother Colin wrote: "It is with a very heavy heart that I have to share the news that my brother Barry died unexpectedly and peacefully in his sleep in the early hours of yesterday morning, Monday, May 26, at his home in Spain.
"This has come as a terrible shock to our family and especially to Lola, Frankie and Mary. We all loved Barry very much and I shared a close bond with him. He will be very much missed by us all."
As a young man, Barry started out - like so many music journalists - as a performer, as a member of punk band, Shock Treatment. However, after plans for a single failed to materialise, he turned his hand to writing of a different sort, for the pages of magazines.
He quickly found his place, with work in the likes of Melody Maker gaining a large following and in 1986, he was made editor of Smash Hits - the hugely popular music magazine aimed at the teen pop market. He led it to stunning sales, peaking at around 800,000 copies each week.
Then, he turned his attention to film when, alongside former Smash Hits colleague Dave Hepworth he helped launch Empire, which became the best-known movie mag in the UK.
Another key role followed in 1994, when Barry was named managing director of EMAP Metro, the firm behind names like MOJO, Q and FHM. His tenure included the successful launch of celebrity-led culture magazine Heat in 1999.
With the dawn of the internet, and the decline of the magazine mass market, he turned his hand to consulting, and was also made chief executive of the Professional Publishers Association.