The Secret History of Rock

The Death of Gene Kan

In June 2002, a man named Gene Kan died, apparently of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.  The guy was only 25.  So why should we remember this? 

Because if you’ve ever swapped an MP3 file, you know his work.  Gene was a pioneer in the world of Gnutella programming. 

He took the original protocols and helped develop them into user-friendly file-sharing programs—the kind that were so big in the post-Napster world.  If you remember programs like Bearshare and Limewire, they were both powered by the work Gene did. 

While people remember guys like Sean Fanning and Kim Dotcom, reserve a little space in your music geek memory for Gene Kan.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 37993 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

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