Known as "the Gentle Giant" for his great height and reserved demeanor, lighting technician Julian Winter died August 9, at age 27. Winter was diagnosed with a fatal illness only 15 weeks earlier, when a tumor on his leg proved to be cancerous. A subsequent operation failed to eradicate the disease, which rapidly escalated.
"Everyone at Light & Sound Design is shocked and distressed at the loss of Julian," says general manager Kevin Forbes. "His brilliance shone professionally and personally. The industry has lost one of the best lighting technicians that ever lived and I personally would like to say goodbye and thank you to him for all of the brilliant work he did both for the company and myself."
Winter had worked for LSD for eight years on tours such as the Cure, Bon Jovi, M People, and Jean Michel Jarre. As one of the company's top Icon(R) technicians, he worked at LSD's Icon Japan office for a time.
"Julian was one of the most important people at Icon Japan and we have learned so many things from him," says Ayumi Homme. "We have so many wonderful memories of him. He was such a fine person and a well-liked man, who is sadly missed by all who knew him."
Although a talented lighting technician, Winter also had his own business--he bought houses, fixed them up, and sold them. "So he wasn't always hanging in the air by his teeth fixing lights; he was a very intelligent boy," Forbes adds. "He will be missed immensely; he was a pal as well as a colleague."