Rob Partridge (1948-2008)

Rob Partridge was a true music man – a witty, loyal, and deeply knowledgeable fan whose loss will be felt throughout the UK music community for years to come. After working in the early '70s as a journalist for Record Mirror, Melody Maker, and other publications, Rob became head of press at Island, where he worked closely with everyone from U2 and Marianne Faithfull to Tom Waits. With Neil Storey he formed the independent PR company Partridge & Storey, renaming it Coalition after Neil's departure in 1996. While Waits and Faithfull stayed with him, the company expanded to take on acts such as Richard Ashcroft, the Strokes, the Libertines, and Kings of Leon. News of Rob's death prompted a flood of tributes from those who knew and loved him. We offer a small selection of emails from Rock's Backpages writers.