Michael Eavis, founder of the Glastonbury music festival, has been named on Time magazine's list of the world's most influential people. Mr Eavis has run the legendary event on his Somerset dairy farm for 39 years.
He is one of 100 people listed, along with US President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, teen actor Zac Efron and TV host Oprah Winfrey. Mr Eavis, 73, said he was "flattered and maybe a little embarrassed" to be on the prestigious annual list. Since Mr Eavis started the event in 1970, Glastonbury has grown into one of the world's largest and best-loved music gatherings.
Coldplay singer Chris Martin paid tribute to Mr Eavis in an article for Time, writing that Glastonbury was 'the biggest rock cathedral in the world'. "Michael is one of the people to whom I owe my life and career," he wrote, explaining how the offer of a headline slot in 2002 had changed everything. "We've headlined other festivals, but Glastonbury is the only one that feels like - and is - a family event. It's also the only one where we received some handmade cheese as a thank you," Chris added.
Mr Eavis, who was made a CBE in 2007, said: "I've put in thirty-nine years and things have worked out incredibly well in that time. "So I'm flattered and maybe a little embarrassed to make it onto this list. We've been awarded the best festival in the world by Pollstar in the USA for the last four years, so that must count for something over there. What's really important too, is that I'm a non-conformist. It's all about kicking against the traces and making it work."
Other musicians on the list included British rapper MIA, Bollywood composer AR Rahman and conductor Gustavo Dudamel. Film stars Kate Winslet, George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Penelope Cruz made the grade, as did designer Stella McCartney, film director Werner Herzog and talk show host Jay Leno.
They rubbed shoulders on the list with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, London mayor Boris Johnson and Twitter founders Biz Stone and Evan Williams.
Source: Time Magazine/BBC
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