Yes, the passing of a key individual can be the reason for the disappearance of a festival, etc. Rossano Sportiello told me that this was why the Norwich Jazz Party - at which he was a regular - lapsed. Of course, the same thing is happening, bit by bit, to the jazz audience - at least the audience for classic jazz. Once it was young guys, now it's guys with walking frames and hearing aids, next it's no one :-(