Alan Lewis, founder of Kerrang! and the driving force behind several of the country’s best know magazines, is to retire at the end of the month.
Lewis, 66, will step down from his current role as editor-in-chief of Record Collector after nine years in the job to be replaced by Ian McCann.
Lewis started his career as a local newspaper sub before moving to Melody Maker in 1969 from where he went on to become the founder-editor of Black Music and Kerrang!, editor of Sounds, NME, No1 and Vox.
He was also instrumental in the launch of Loaded and Uncut, the former of which he acted as editor-in-chief, and had a hand in the development of Family History Monthly.
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During his tenure at Record Collector, Lewis helped overhaul the magazine, introducing modern production methods and new editorial features while retaining the discographies and stories aimed at vinyl collectors that appealed to its core readership.
He will be retiring to Buckinghamshire, where he intends to serenade his neighbours with vintage soul albums.
Andy McDuff, publisher of Record Collector, said: ‘We are very sad to see Alan go.
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‘The wealth of experience and professionalism he brought to the title have borne fruit in the magazine’s continued success.
‘He has been a brilliant editor of rock’n’roll magazines, a unique figure in British publishing, and it has been a dream to have someone like that at Record Collector. Both the readership and staff will miss him.”
McCann takes over from Lewis after three-years at The Independent. He previously worked for 13 years at News International, where he was chief sub on Sunday Magazine at the News of the World.
He has written for NME, Q, The Face, i-D, The Telegraph, The Times and Music Week. He also spent five years as a regular reporter on Radio 1’s music journalism show, Soundbite, and has complied and written sleeve notes for some 250 compilation LPs, for the likes of Universal, Union Square Music, Harmless, Island, Demon and Tommy Boy.
He said: ‘It’s a dream come true to become the editor of Record Collector. I couldn’t have asked for a more appropriate role as someone who is a wide-ranging music obsessive as well as a journalist.
‘I will be carrying on the traditions of Britain’s longest-running rock monthly, while adding a few new touches to maintain the modernisation process that Alan begun.
‘This magazine already rocks – but we’re going to put even more passionate writing and fascinating information on its pages.’
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