Steve O'Rourke facts for kids
Steve O'Rourke (born October 1, 1940 – died October 30, 2003) was a talented English music manager and a skilled racing driver. He is best known as the manager of the famous band Pink Floyd. He managed them from 1968 until he passed away. One of his important achievements was helping Pink Floyd through big changes, like when their main songwriter, Roger Waters, left the band.
Steve O'Rourke: His Life and Managing Pink Floyd
Steve O'Rourke's father, Tommy O'Rourke, was a fisherman from the Aran Islands in Ireland. He even appeared as a shark hunter in a documentary film called Man of Aran. He later moved to London, where Steve was born in a place called Willesden.
Steve first trained to be an accountant. He started working for a music agency that later became part of NEMS Enterprises. He began as a junior agent and helped with bookkeeping. At first, Steve booked concerts for Pink Floyd, while the band was managed by others.
In 1968, when Pink Floyd's original member Syd Barrett left, Steve O'Rourke took over as the band's manager. In the early 1970s, Steve started his own company called EMKA Productions. He named it after his first daughter, Emma Kate. Steve later had another daughter and three sons.
Steve O'Rourke passed away in Miami, Florida, in 2003 after having a stroke. His funeral was held in England. As a special tribute, Pink Floyd members David Gilmour, Richard Wright, and Nick Mason played music together. It was their first public performance since 1994. They played two songs, "Fat Old Sun" and "The Great Gig in the Sky", as Steve's coffin was carried out.
After his death, David Gilmour's 2006 solo album On an Island was dedicated to Steve's memory. Nick Mason also dedicated his book about Pink Floyd, Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd, to Steve.
Steve O'Rourke: A Passion for Racing
Steve O'Rourke also had a very successful side career as a racing driver. This was a hobby he loved, and he shared this passion with Pink Floyd's drummer, Nick Mason. He especially loved racing classic cars from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.
His dream was to race in the famous Le Mans 24 Hours race in France. He achieved this in 1979, finishing twelfth in his Ferrari 512 BB. He raced at Le Mans again in 1980. During that race, a tire exploded at nearly 200 miles per hour! Steve bought a spare part from another Ferrari to finish the race. His car ended up with a green front and a red back!
In 1981, he started his own racing team, EMKA Racing. He raced a BMW M1 with other drivers like Derek Bell. For one Le Mans race, Steve even left the track to oversee a Pink Floyd concert in London. He then flew back the next morning and jumped right back into the race car!
In 1991, Steve and David Gilmour drove a Jaguar C-Type in a race through Mexico. They had a big crash, but Steve only broke his leg. This event was shown in a film called La Carrera Panamericana, which featured music from Pink Floyd.
Steve brought back EMKA Racing in 1991. He competed in several racing championships. He won the British GT GT2 class drivers championship in 1997 and the GT1 class in 1998. His biggest racing success was finishing fourth overall at Le Mans in a McLaren F1 GTR. After this success, Steve spent a lot of money on a huge party for his entire EMKA team!
From 2000, Steve focused on the FIA GT Championship. He later had to stop driving due to health reasons. He then managed other drivers who won races. Porsche even offered to help EMKA Racing for the 2004 season.
Sadly, Steve O'Rourke's death in 2003 led to the EMKA Racing team closing down.
Other Artists Steve O'Rourke Managed
Steve O'Rourke also managed other talented people, including:
- Chris Thomas, a record producer
- Kokomo, a music band
- Heath Lefke, a production manager
