While Geoff was the face of Kerrang!, who developed its larger-than-life tone and directed the content, Alan devised it’s publishing strategy and effectively edited and designed the magazine in a hands-on manner. As the first issue sold out, the idea to transform Kerrang! into a monthly soon followed in August, it’s continuing success allowing it to move to being fortnightly and eventually weekly. The first magazine dedicated to heavy music, Kerrang! not only became an essential promotional outlet for new and established talent, it also inspired a raft of similar titles around the world.
Alan’s enthusiasm was something he carried with him into further publishing ventures over time. When he took over rival weekly NME in the mid-’80s, he injected new life into the title, once again recruiting new editorial talent to ensure the paper’s grassroots relevance. Among them was a young Features Editor named James Brown who, having failed to subsequently to become Editor of the NME, was given the opportunity to launch an idea he’d pitched to Alan. The resulting magazine was Loaded – another publishing first based on the celebration of anarchic lad-ism with genuine editorial smarts. Once again, this blueprint would be widely emulated and, in lesser hands, effectively devalued over time.
Alan’s love of print media was such that his attempt to move away from it and run a pub in later life proved frustrating. As a result he returned to oversee Record Collector magazine where, once again, his nurturing of talent was evident – one of his young interns consisting of current Kerrang! Editor, Sam Coare.
It goes without saying that the news of Alan’s passing yesterday (June 23) has saddened everyone who knew him. But there are also literally millions of readers who owe him a huge debt of gratitude for developing an editorial approach based on enthusiasm and instinct.
Kerrang! would like to extend our condolences to the Lewis family – particularly his son Luke who worked with us for a number of years before continuing his own illustrious career. And, above all, we would like to say thank you, Alan. Rest well. We would not be here without you…