Katy Perry Mourns Loss of 'One of My Protectors' in Heartbreaking Tribute
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Katy Perry mourned the death of one of her most trusted advisers in an emotional Instagram post.
The music superstar spoke out on Thursday, Feb. 15, to grieve the loss of her manager, Martin Kirkup, who died at the age of 75 earlier this month. Kirkup, a co-founder of Direct Management agency had been one of Perry's managers for nearly 20 years, working with her on some of her earliest hits, including "I Kissed a GIrl" and "Hot N Cold."
In her lengthy Instagram post, Perry, 39, explained why she waited a couple of weeks to speak out about Kirkup's death, telling her followers, "something about posting it makes it all feel, final."
Going on to describe her relationship with the late music executive, Perry called Kirkup "the bulldog of our group—the one who always said, 'Show me the data, the P&L, the science, the facts!' If all else failed, he would just say, 'That’s ridiculous!' or some other cheeky, witty, eloquent one-liner with an English accent and all would be convinced."
Kirkup, who was born in the UK, died on Feb. 4 while vacationing with his family in Hawaii, Billboard reports. Information on his exact cause of death has not been disclosed.
In Perry's Instagram post on Thursday, she called Kirkup "one of my protectors," writing, "He was vigilant about getting me what I deserved and celebrated the headstrong female I am."
Just days before his passing, Perry said she was able to show Kirkup some of the music she had been working on. "I could tell he was excited for the future, and I was so glad I had that last moment to make him proud in my own little way," the American Idol judge wrote.
"We didn't didn’t get to physically say goodbye, but I know he knows how much respect and admiration I have for him, and his hearty chuckles and wicked retorts continue to echo through my mind," the "Firework" songstress added.
Continuing her lengthy message in a follow-up comment, Perry began to wrap up her post, writing, "What an honor it was to have Martin Kirkup on my team." She also included several photos of some of her fond memories with Kirkup.
In addition to managing Perry, Kirkup also worked with a slew of other major artists, including Adam Lambert, Counting Crows, The B-52s, k.d. lang and more.
