Dying concert promoter visited by President

President Mary McAleese was one of the last people to visit top concert promoter Jim Aiken before his death.

She broke away from engagements to make a private trip to his home in south Belfast last week, sources confirmed.

The man who brought international stars to the city at the height of the conflict in the North, and later staged a series of open-air concerts in the grounds of Stormont, died last night at the age of 74 after a short illness.

He will be buried in his home town of Jonesborough, Co Armagh, tomorrow after a funeral service at St Brigid’s Church, Derryvolgie, Belfast, which is expected to be attended by thousands of mourners.

“So many people want to pay their respects to Jim. The family are preparing for a large funeral,” a friend said.

After studying for the priesthood and teaching in a Belfast primary school, it was to be in showbusiness that Aiken found his calling.

He went into promoting Irish show bands in his 20s before travelling the world, encouraging top stars to perform in the North.

During the decades of the Troubles it was Aiken who managed to attract international entertainers such as Charlie Pride and Neil Diamond to perform in Belfast.

Aiken was on first name terms with many of those who performed at his shows in the province, including Bruce Springsteen and Cliff Richard.

But it was the free open-air summer concerts in the grounds of Stormont in the wake of the Good Friday peace agreement for which he will be best remembered.

Elton John, Rod Stewart, rock band the Eagles and tenor Luciano Pavarotti all answered his call to perform.

His wife of 47 years, Anne, and their four daughters and a son have been inundated with condolences.

“Everybody knew Jim, and over the years so many people said they were taught by him and sang his praises, even though he was a teacher for such a short time,” one of those closest to him said.

“He was just a very, very good man.”

As tributes began to pour in from around the world, Riverdance star Michael Flatley spoke of his loss.

“Jim was just a straight shooter. He was like a father figure to me – I loved that man.”

Away from concert promotion, Aiken’s other business interests included radio, with involvement in FM104 and Redfm, and he was also part of the consortium which brought HMV to Ireland.

He was a past member of the National Concert Hall, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Investment Belfast.

A sportsman in his younger years, he represented his county, Armagh, at minor and senior level Gaelic football – and took a keen interest in horse racing and rugby.