U2’s longtime tour manager died overnight at the Sunset Marquis Hotel in Hollywood, the band announced on Wednesday.
Dennis Sheehan, 68, appeared to die of natural causes, authorities told ABC7.
“We’ve lost a family member, we’re still taking it in. He wasn’t just a legend in the music business, he was a legend in our band. He is irreplaceable,” U2 lead singer Bono said in a statement on the band’s website.
Sheehan had worked with U2 for more than 30 years, joining with the band just before the release of their 1983 album War. He was born in Wolverhampton, England in 1947 and began playing music at age 12.
Soon after, he began working with bands including Led Zeppelin, The Damned, Lou Reed, and Siouxsie and the Banshees. He won a live event industry award, the Parnelli’s lifetime achievement award, in 2008.
Along with managing U2’s tours, Sheehan also worked on band members’ solo projects, according to the Parnelli Award website.
The Los Angeles County fire department said that they responded to a call around 5.40am and that Sheehan was declared dead at the hotel.
U2 performed its first of five Los Angeles area shows on Tuesday night. Sources confirm that the band will play its scheduled show at the Forum on Wednesday night. [The Guardian]