Tributes have flooded in for promoter and businessman Eddy DeMello, who died yesterday morning after a long illness at the age of 75.Mr DeMello owned the popular Music Box store on Reid Street and organised many music concerts and boxing tournaments on the Island.Outside his professional interests, Mr DeMello worked tirelessly on behalf of the Island’s Portuguese community and was president of the Vasco da Gama Club for 17 years. He received numerous Bermuda honours for his work and was also recognised by the Queen and Portuguese government.Mr DeMello’s wife, Elsie, said he was diagnosed with liver cancer in 2008 and died peacefully at home.“He put up a brave fight and had a real will to live which he never gave up until the end,” Mrs DeMello said.“He was a man who wore many hats and always wanted to keep busy. But he was also incredibly kind. He would give you the shirt off his back.”Mrs DeMello recalled how staff at the Music Box would always try and prevent Mr DeMello from serving customers because he was always giving discounts to clients who couldn’t quite afford their purchases.“He was generous to a fault but never talked about that side of things,” Mrs DeMello said.Mr DeMello was born in the Azores in 1937, but came to Bermuda in 1949 at the age of 11. He attended Dellwood School for a few years but, as the oldest of four children, had to go out to work while still a teenager to support the family .A love of music soon landed him a job at the Music Box, which was then located on Queen Street. He bought the business in the 1970s, turning it into one of the most popular music retailers on the Island.Mr DeMello was also highly successful as a promotor, bringing many top-of-the-bill recording stars to Bermuda, including Charlie Pride, Mahalia Jackson, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, and Amalia Rodrigues. For more than a decade DeMello Productions organised an annual concert by soca legend Byron Lee.He also supported the sport of boxing, drafting in overseas fighters to take part in bouts with local boxers.Reacting to the news of Mr DeMello’s death, former Culture Minister Dale Butler said that Mr DeMello did more than anyone to promote culture of all kinds on the Island.Pointing out that Mr DeMello had already been inducted into the Cultural Hall of Fame, Mr Butler added: “That man needs a monument in his honour because he is a national hero.“His emphasis was on what it means to be a decent human being. He wasn’t interested in black or white or where you were from or anything. He just wanted to work with anyone, as long as it was for the betterment of Bermuda.“Obviously he was very interested in Portuguese culture but he also had a love for Bermudian culture I don’t think I ever saw him wearing long pants.“He was an outstanding promoter and a truly outstanding citizen. His passing is a big, big loss for Bermuda.”Never one to forget his roots, Mr DeMello worked tirelessly to keep alive Portuguese traditions and promote Azorian culture here.His interpreting skills were often called upon to assist Portuguese nationals struggling to deal with officialdom. He served on the Portuguese Cultural Centre Committee and was also a member of the Committee for Long Term Residents.Longtime friend Tony Cordeiro said Mr DeMello was “a pillar of strength”, not just for the Portuguese community but for anyone trying to forge a career in the music industry.“He helped an awful lot of people and was very generous with his time, a very genuine man,” Mr Cordeiro said.“He was always there for youngsters who wanted to put on their shows. He was never afraid to take a gamble and was never discouraged. Even if an event lost him money, he would bounce right back. He was always affable and upbeat.”Vasco da Gama president Andrea Moniz-DeSouza also played tribute, saying: “Vasco da Gama Club and all of its members are deeply saddened to hear of Mr DeMello’s passing.“He was a great man, who, as president of the club for almost 20 years, is entrenched in so many ways in the club’s history. Our deepest condolences go to Mrs DeMello, family and friends. His passing will be a large loss in the Portuguese-Bermudian community of Bermuda and we will never forget him.”In 1979, Mr DeMello’s work was recognised by Portugal when he was made Knight Commander of the Order of Prince Henry for his contribution to the Portuguese community.He received the Queen’s Certificate and Badge of Honour twice the first time in 1988 for his work with the Portuguese community and the second time in 2006 for service to the Bermuda Independence Commission. He was presented with a Bermuda Arts Council Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004 for his contribution to the arts and last year he received a Senior Citizen Community Service Award from the Bermuda Government.As well as his wife, Mr DeMello leaves his son, Duane, sister Mary, brothers William and Joseph and a granddaughter.