Fritz Rau: 1929-2013

20 August 2013

My dear friend and long-standing German promoter, Fritz Rau, died aged 83 on Monday 19th August.

Fritz was the one who, along with his co-promoter Horst Lippmann, brought Jethro Tull to Germany for the first time in 1969 at the kind suggestion of Jimi Hendrix. Over the years we played many concerts with Fritz at the helm and only in old age did he relinquish the crown and give up work apart from occasional lecture visits where he spoke warmly, often to an audience of enthusiastic young students, of his life and times.

Dear Fritz – we miss you and will always remember your humour, inspiration and dedication to the live music industry. Always the music fan first and the businessman second. Rest, not in peace, but in the bosom of whatever music they play over there. Jazz bass? Could be time to take it up again.

Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull