Sam Cutler (born Brendan Lawrence Lyons; 10 March 1943 – 11 July 2023) was an English tour manager for The Rolling Stones,^[1] Grateful Dead,^[2] and other acts.

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Sam Cutler
Background information
Born	(1943-03-10)10 March 1943
Origin	Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England
Died	11 July 2023(2023-07-11) (aged 80) Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Genres	Rock music
Occupation(s)	Tour manager, band manager
Years active	1969–1974

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Cutler was born on 10 March 1943.^[3] He was an Honours Graduate in Contemporary History (Open University (OU)) and a qualified teacher (University of Cambridge Institute of Education 1963–66). Cutler's OU degree was gained at the end of the 1980s.^{[citation needed]}

Cutler worked for Blackhill Enterprises as stage manager and master of ceremonies on a series of 1960s gigs in the U.K. and Europe with different artists, including Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones and Alexis Korner.^{[citation needed]} In 1969, he acted as master of ceremonies at The Rolling Stones concert in Hyde Park London.^{[citation needed]}

Following the Hyde Park show, Cutler was asked to be the personal road manager to The Rolling Stones during their 1969 Tour of America, which culminated in the Altamont Free Concert where Afro-American arts student Meredith Curly Hunter, Jr. was killed in front of the stage by one of the Hells Angels security team.^{[citation needed]}

Cutler was credited with first uttering The Rolling Stones' famous intro line, "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World...The Rolling Stones!"^{[citation needed]}

Following the events at Altamont, Cutler stayed in the U.S. to deal with the aftermath, was befriended by Jerry Garcia, and subsequently hired by the Grateful Dead as their tour manager. He went on to become a co-manager of the band (with Jon McIntire and David Parker) and eventually became their agent and tour manager.^{[citation needed]}

Cutler organised the Dead's appearances at a number of events including: the 1970 Festival Express Tour of Canada, The Summer Jam at Watkins Glen and the 1972 European Tour of the Grateful Dead, the musical results of which can be heard on the Dead's triple live album Europe '72.^{[citation needed]}

Through his company, Out of Town Tours, Cutler coordinated the appearances of Grateful Dead, The Band, The Allman Brothers, The New Riders of the Purple Sage, The Sons of Champlin, Mike Bloomfield, Ramblin' Jack Elliott and others.^{[citation needed]}

In 2006, Cutler collaborated with Melbourne (Australia) indie-rock group Black Cab on the track "Valiant" which appeared on the band's 2006 release Jesus East. In the track, Cutler reminisces on his days with the Grateful Dead and preaches advice for the kids of today.^{[citation needed]} Cutler toured around Australia and Asia promoting his book.^{[citation needed]}

Cutler died from cancer in Brisbane, Queensland, on 11 July 2023, at the age of 80.^[4]