Christopher BarrettLive industry colleagues have paid tribute to Chris Russell-Fish, the former managing director of award-winning Americana festival Black Deer, who has passed away.
Russell-Fish became Black Deer Festival’s MD in 2023, having previously worked as the 10,000-capacity event’s operations director alongside its co-founders Gill Tee and Deborah Shilling. He is pictured (left) at the launch of Black Deer Live with Britt Strickland from the band The Autumn Saints and Gill Tee.
The independently run and owned Black Deer Festival was staged at Kent’s Eridge Park. The winner of multiple industry awards, it attracted major headline artists; with Sheryl Crow, Joe Bonamassa and Rufus Wainwright topping the bill at the 2024 event.
Last year, Tee and Russell-Fish launched Black Deer Live, encompassing an international live show touring programme, digital radio station Black Deer Radio, and standalone events including Black Deer In The City.
Prior to working on Black Deer, Russell-Fish’s career included stints as UK MD at Hasselblad and sales & marketing director at Kodak.
Tee, who described Russell-Fish as the ‘perfect gentleman’ said, “Chris worked tirelessly and with such great tenacity to help make Black Deer a success. Through Covid he was a solid force who kept the shareholders confident that we could get through the two years of extreme uncertainty.
“He and I became such a tight team together, and in the last couple of years, we worked so hard to keep new ideas flowing to ensure there was a future for the brand we had all put so much into. We started the one day shows, and the radio station together, along with Black Deer in the City that we had such high hopes for. We were, during that time, full of optimism and excited for the future. We had some really fun times on our adventures, and I will never forget what an important part he played in my life.”
Black Deer director Ini Ghidirmic said Chris Russell-Fish’s death had come as a profound shock to the whole team: “During our time working together, Chris was not only a highly capable and inspiring leader, but also a true friend. We will deeply miss our conversations – not only about music, but about the many interests we shared. Chris held a vision for the music industry that was uniquely his own, and one that will not be easily replicated. His absence will be felt tremendously.”
Vamuso CEO Neil Fox, who worked Russell-Fish to help build Blac Deer Radio station, said, “Chris was always charming, super-polite, extremely professional and a lot of fun too. He was a brilliant details man, so important in a creative business such as ours, and was definitely the Ying to Gill’s Yang. They made a great team.
“I will miss our regular calls and Zooms with Chris and our chats about motorbikes, he was an avid biker like me. He adored his family too and would often talk about them, especially his daughter who was a huge Harley-Davidson fan. I will always remember a wonderful afternoon with them both at Warr’s 100th Anniversary celebrations. Good memories and good times shared but heart-breaking that he has gone so soon. Chris was without doubt one of the good guys and we will all miss him dearly.”
Among the many others to have paid tribute to Russell-Fish is Steve Jenner, chief commercial officer at TagMix, who worked closely with him on Black Deer from the outset: “Chris was one of those rare, inspiring people who always made everything feel lighter. Working with him never felt like work and I admired his enthusiasm, sharp instinct and quiet diplomacy from the moment we met. But what really defined Chris was his kindness. Even when the pressure was on, he stayed considerate and thoughtful, always making space for others.
“He was also deeply loyal, with an unwavering drive to do the right thing, even when it made life more difficult. That strength of character ran through everything he did. I used to smile when his name flashed up on my phone, because I knew the conversation would leave me feeling better than before. He had a gift for lifting people, even when he was delivering tough news. It’s something I’ll always remember about him.
“I feel genuinely honoured to have called Chris a friend as well as a colleague, and I miss him more than I can say. My heart goes out to his family at this incredibly sad time.”
Talentbanq’s Ray Jones, who worked with Russell-Fish on the single-day Black Deer show series said, “Chris Russell-Fish was an absolute gentleman, a man always true to his word, and a pleasure to work alongside. He will be missed by all who knew him and will always be remembered for his immense contribution to UK live music.”