Fresno native and Pollstar co-founder Gary Smith has passed away at the age of 77.
Pollstar announced that Smith passed away at his Fresno home peacefully and unexpectedly on Jan. 20.
The big picture: Smith founded Pollstar in 1981 with Gary Bongiovanni.
- Pollstar, initially Promoter On Line Listings, is a trade publication that provides data and contacts for the global concert industry.
- He ran Pollstar as its CEO until 2017, when the company was sold to Oak View Group.
- Smith got his start in the concert industry as a promoter, working with groups such as AWB, Tower of Power, The Guess Who and The Doors before joining up with Bongiovanni.