In the late 1970s and 1980s, Tony was one of the most influential lighting designers working in the nightclub and leisure industry, with his ground-breaking design for the famous Camden Palace among his achievements. From 1983 onwards, with Peter Wynne-Willson, Tony was a partner in the innovative lighting design and engineering firm, Wynne-Willson Gottelier (WWG). The company was responsible for many entertainment projects for the leisure and cruise ship industry, and for creating products such as the Razorhead moving searchlight, the Fantôme - an automated version of Robert Juliat's 2.5kW zoom profile, and of course the Catalyst system with its 'orbital movement' mirror-based projection arrangement.
Tony was a long-time associate editor and regular contributor to Lighting&Sound International magazine, and his No Comment column became one of the most talked-about regular features of the magazine: the page would often be faxed across the Atlantic in advance of the print version arriving, so that the Stateside industry could see what he was talking about next.
Very much a family man himself, Tony made a lasting contribution to the professional lighting industry with the foundation of Light Relief, a charity supporting lighting professionals who find themselves unable to work through illness affecting themselves or their family members.
All at PLASA and PLASA Media would like to offer their sympathies to Tony's family.
(Lee Baldock)
Send us your memories of Tony Gottelier news@lsionline.co.uk.
