David Gold

The preservation of history was never just an interest for David Gold — it was deeply personal.

Long before he co-founded Gold Star Studios, his family was forever shaped by the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911. David often reflected on the fact that he would never have been born had his mother not called in sick that tragic day, while his aunt perished alongside 145 others in one of America’s deadliest industrial disasters. That realization stayed with him throughout his life and fueled a profound commitment to documenting the past.

When my wife Suzanne and I visited David in his lovely Los Angeles-area home, he carefully shared photographs and fragile newspaper clippings from the fire — tangible connections to a story he believed must never be forgotten. Preserving history, he understood, was an act of respect.

David carried that reverence for music history.

As co-founder of Gold Star Studios with Stan Ross, David helped create one of the most successful independent recording studios in the world. A brilliant and endlessly curious engineer, he personally designed and built much of the studio’s equipment. Every control board, modification, and innovation reflected his hands-on approach — including the legendary echo chambers constructed with specially formulated walls that produced a sonic depth unlike anything heard before. Those chambers helped define the sound of an era and provided the canvas for producer Phil Spector’s famed “Wall of Sound.” Artists were drawn to Gold Star’s distinctive character, among them The Beach Boys, who recorded portions of their landmark album Pet Sounds there, as well as the enduring single “Good Vibrations.”

Yet beyond his technical brilliance was a man of generosity, humility, and quiet enthusiasm. I had the privilege of knowing David for more than twenty years, and his belief in preserving our industry’s stories made him a natural friend to the NAMM Oral History program. He not only shared his own remarkable journey but encouraged others to do the same, understanding that today’s memories become tomorrow’s history.

David Gold understood something essential: hit records may capture a moment, but preserving the stories behind them gives those moments lasting meaning.

His echo may have been engineered in cement chambers, but it’s resonance will endure for generations.

Dan Del Fiorentino

NAMM Music Historian dand@namm.org