Longtime Tucson concert promoter Jonathan Holden, who spent his career championing Americana and roots music and helped start Tucson community radio station KXCI, died on Tuesday. He was 60 years old and had been hospitalized since last Friday with a lung infection.
Holden died after suffering a pulmonary aneurysm Tuesday afternoon, said family friend Cathy Casper.
"What a loss for Tucson. What a shock," said Texas musician Lisa Morales, half of the Tucson-born duo Sisters Morales and a regular on Holden's Rhythm & Roots concert series.
"He brought a lot of exciting people into town who might not otherwise have been heard here," said Tucson Meet Yourself founder Jim Griffith. "I don't know too many other people who are doing the same sort of things."
In the mid-1990s, Holden founded Rhythm & Roots, a concert series devoted to eclectic acoustic music of varied genres, from Gypsy folk to flamenco, blues and old-timey country.
"He was committed 100 percent to the art of indie Americana music," said Tucson bass player Steve Grams, who played with a number of the national acts Holden brought in. "Jonathan was always taking risks on shows that nobody else would do."
"He would bring artists in who he knew would only draw 100 people, but if that's what he planned for, he'd get those 100 people," added KXCI Community Radio General Manager Randy Peterson. "He was good at taking calculated risks."
Holden was born in Santa Cruz, Calif., on Dec. 29, 1951. He came to Tucson in 1970 to work on his uncle's ranch in Sasabe. He also took University of Arizona classes and worked on the air for KWFM.
He returned to California and graduated from San Francisco State University. He worked in television production in Pacifica, Calif., before returning to Tucson in 1975 to help start KXCI, said his wife, Susan Holden.
Holden also produced videos for the Window Rock School District and worked for Carondelet Hospitals, the UA and KUAT. With the exception of spending a season working for UApresents, Holden concentrated all of his efforts in recent years on Rhythm & Roots.
Susan Holden said she will continue the Rhythm & Roots series, which is booked through May. The next concert is Sunday with singer-songwriter John McCutcheon at Plaza Palomino's Suite 147, 2970 N. Swan Road.
"I'm hoping to see out the spring season. After that it will be up in the air," she said.
Holden is also survived by sons Gabe and Devon, both of Tucson. Private services will be held Friday. A public memorial will be planned for next month. Memorial donations can be made to the Jonathan Holden Memorial Fund account at any Bank of America branch nationwide.
Memorial donations
Memorial donations can be made to the Jonathan Holden Memorial Fund account at any Bank of America branch nationwide.
Read more about Holden in next Thursday's Caliente.
Contact reporter Cathalena E. Burch at cburch@azstarnet.com or 573-4642.
