Former VENOM manager Eric Cook has died. He was overseeing the band's affairs in the beginning and helped them get established in the '80s. Former VENOM and current VENOM INC. guitarist Jeff "Mantas' Dunn commented on Cook's passing. He wrote: "Today sees the end of an era. My good friend Eric Cook lost his battle with the most vicious enemy. This is the second friend I have lost in the last three months to this disgusting disease. We traveled the world together and went through so many things, good and bad, but always remained friends. "For those of you who don't know, Eric was VENOM's manager and fought hard to see the band rise to the heights that it did, working tirelessly behind the scenes. "I have no words to express my sadness at the time of this news and can only offer my sincere condolences to his wife Carol and their two children and his brother Ged. "Taken far too soon, rest well my friend." Added former VENOM and current VENOM INC. drummer Anthony "Abaddon" Bray: "I met Eric Cook when I was 16. I invited him to come with VENOM as guitar roadie when we played our first real concert in Belgium. He subsequently became our manager and pretty much everything we achieved was because of him. We were business partners and saw each other every day for twenty odd years. He was the funniest guy you could hang out with, but tenacious in business and managed to make a quid go a long, long way. We didn't always see eye to eye, but he'd always listen to the other guys' point of view and could be swayed, if need be. "Eric succumbed to a very violent cancer earlier today. He'd been ill since Christmas but kept working and trying to break bands and run his studio and other business interest. "As his brother Ged succinctly put… The music business has lost a powerhouse and a legend.... I have lost a brother. "Sleep well, mate." In 2000, Eric and his brother Ged founded Demolition Records, which was home to David Lee Roth, TWISTED SISTER, THE QUIREBOYS, QUIET RIOT, W.A.S.P. and others. Cook created Blast Recording Studios in 2010 in Newcastle, a state-of-the-art recording complex that recorded bands like TAKE THAT, THE ARTIC MONKEYS and TWISTED SISTER. As recently as 2013, Cook was representing Andy Taylor (DURAN DURAN, Rod Stewart), Tolga Kashif (classical musician) and Richard Wisker (BBC actor).
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