Vince Power, one of the most famous figures in the live music industry, who brought some of the world’s most celebrated icons to a Kent festival, has died. He was 76.

The Irish entrepreneur was the man behind the heyday of the Hop Farm Festival held at Paddock Wood between 2008 and 2012.

Among the stars he secured to perform were Prince – in what was his one and only UK festival appearance – Morrissey, Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, Neil Young, Van Morrison, The Eagles and Peter Gabriel.

In a statement, his family described him as “a visionary entrepreneur who enhanced and influenced the music industry significantly, whilst always being a dedicated, loving father and a loyal friend to so many”.

Born in Ireland, he made his name by building up the Mean Fiddler empire – starting with the live music venue in Harlesden and which went on to include the likes of the Camden Jazz Cafe, Highbury Garage, Kentish Town Forum, the Subterania and Finsbury Park Astoria.

After floating his Mean Fiddler group on the stock market, he sold out in 2005 to entertainment giant Clear Channel for a deal worth £38m. He pocketed £13m for his stake.

He also was instrumental in transforming the fortunes of the Reading and Glastonbury festivals as well as the likes of the short-lived Phoenix Festival.

But it was his Hop Farm Festival at Paddock Wood for which he will be best known in the county. In 2021, he explained to KentOnline how he managed to secure Prince for the 2011 event – a major coup at the time.

However, the festival found itself mired into troublesome financial water and he stepped away.

He described the 2011 event as “one of the least profitable of my life” – Prince alone had cost around £850,000 to book – but had no regrets at staging the memorable event.

“For everyone else,” he recalled, “it was the best gig they’d ever been to.”