Canadian record producer, promoter Donald K. Donald dies at 82

Donald K. Tarlton, better known as Donald K. Donald, has died. He was 82.

Donald K. Tarlton, better known as Donald K. Donald, has died, CTV News has learned.

He was 82.

Tarlton spent 40 years bringing some of the world’s top musical artists to Montreal.

From humble beginnings, he became one of Canada’s most successful impresarios, bringing many big-name acts like The Rolling Stones to Montreal.

Former longtime Montreal broadcaster Terry DiMonte says everyone who attended a concert from the 60s to the 2000s did so because of Donald K. Donald Productions, so it’s a big loss for the city and for him personally.

“I haven’t seen Donald in a number of years … his health wasn’t the best. He was a trooper and if you ever knew or met Donald you knew besides the fact that he always let you know that ‘there were plenty of great seats still available’ he was just a bundle of energy both in business and his personal life,” DiMonte told CTV News on Monday.

“I got to know him on a personal level, which was an absolute treat. He and his wife, Annie, are just the most wonderful people and it’s another one from the era gone.”

In the late 1960s, Tarlton started out booking local bands as Donald K. Productions. Radio personality Marc Denis still has the flyers.

“It ended up being a hugely successful career as a rock promoter and impresario when he was booking local bands at places like Snoopy’s Discotheque,” he recalled in an interview on Tuesday.

As fame grew for many artists, they kept coming back to Tarlton, who had a friendship with them.

His beloved wife, Annie, has New Brunswick roots, and Tarlton always brought big acts to eastern Canada, like The Rolling Stones.

With 600 concerts a year, it meant Tarlton asked a lot of his team and trusted them. Along the way, he launched many bands and thousands of careers, like Leisa Lee.

“He taught us how to do it and not by telling us how to do it, but by showing us, you know, you be nice to everybody, you take care of everybody. You never know who you’re talking to,” she said. “It could be the guy who takes out the garbage. It could be the president of the company. You treat them well.”

He is also being remembered for his contributions to the community outside of music.

“Donald was a devoted community advocate, raising funds for the Missing Children’s Network, producing a 1996 benefit concert for the Saguenay region flood victims and aiding many other worthy charitable organisations,” reads part of a statement from his friends and family.

Tarlton loved the artists and the audiences, says Sylvie Brunetta, who worked with him for 20 years.

“Every show at the Forum, he would just leave the backstage and he would go and walk around the floor, say hi to people. People shook his hand,” Brunetta said.

Tarlton earned innumerable honours, like the 1985 Association du disque, de l’industrie du spectacle québécois (ADISQ) award for concert promoter of the year and in 2000 he was awarded a member of the Order of Canada.

“The things that we were privileged to see and live were incredible. And for me personally, Donald was my mentor. Donald was director of the ‘University of Showbusiness,’” Brunetta said.

He retired a few years ago.

Tarlton leaves behind his wife, Annie, and so many friends and memories for so many music lovers.