FOH (Front Of House)

Mike Adams was a sound designer and engineer who began servicing SouthernCalifornia's audio needs in the 1970s. Seeing the need for sound reinforcement during changing times, he left his band to join Silverfish Audio which was founded in Rochester, New York, in 1971 and isnow known as Sound Image located in Escondido, California. Mike worked as a front-of-house engineer for the likes of Jimmy Buffett and helped form many other audio companies such as Audio Composite and Vue Audio. Mike also collaborated with companies like JBL, Yamaha, and QSC on various design projects.

Bryan Bell was given the task of engineering a working synthesizer using all of Herbie Hancock’s favorite keyboards back in the early 1970s, well before MIDI. Herbie’s single instruction to Bryan was that he wanted all of the sounds of his 20 plus instruments powered and fully controlled by one unit, allowing Herbie to make all of the musical changes on his entire bank of synthesizers. Bryan succeeded and went on to play a vital role as one of the music industry’s most innovative sound engineers.

Sam Berkow has a deep rooted passion for acoustical design & sound measurement. Sam began his career in the era in which very little practical information was written on the subject of acoustical measurement. He applied his knowledge to both indoor music events as well as those set outside. Over the years he used his experience to design the SIA-SMAART software. Sam’s work within the software has become a standard tool for the industry and one he is proud of. In more recent years Sam has designed concert halls with acoustic design such as the home of Jazz at Lincoln Center in

Roy Bickel joined the circus as a teenager and at one point held the record for traveling the longest distance after being shot out of a cannon.  One day he was asked if he wanted to make a little extra money helping with the rigging of the sound system –and Roy soon found his career!  He rigged the Disney stage shows beginning in the 1960s and later rigged rock concerts (big and bigger) all around the world.

Jim Bornhorst was hired by Rusty Brutsche, the founder of Showco, to assist with the development of sound systems.  In just a short time, Jim proved he was able to design systems as well as create company-owned products that would give Showco a leg up on the competition.  Jim gratefully enjoyed the pro audio business and helped set standards within the industry still used today.  Then one day, Rusty asked if Jim could head a team to design a new way of changing gels for concert lighting.  The results of that effort was the revolutionary moving lighting system later named Vari-lite

Rusty Brutsche and two friends formed the famous pro audio rental company Showco with the simple mission to produce good sounding concerts.  The goal required the building and maintenance of cutting edge and often innovative gear such as boards, pre-amps and lights.  Their Varilight system became a very successful product as it revolutionized concert lighting with motors that moved the lights and changed colors instantaneously.  In addition to the gear, Rusty and his staff went on the road to mix front of house for bands all across the country.  For example, Rusty mixed Led Zeppel

Dary Burns remembers the big switch in audio when digital boards replaced analog equipment. There was a steep learning curve and yet one he was eager to embrace. While Dary sometimes still uses analog gear, being a part of that era of fast-developing technology was exciting. It reminded him of his days in high school when he and his friends formed bands but needed an audio guy. By learning what was needed to run sound, Dary filled a need and became the “audio guy.” Much the same thing happened a few times in his career, including when he ran sound for acts like J. Blackfoot, the B

Dan Dugan is a pro lighting and pro audio engineer who invented an automixer that he first presented at AES in 1974. With a rich background in theater, both in lighting and sound, Dan created several automations that improved the quality and efficiency of production processes. His innovations were used in many products including Yamaha’s Dugan MY-16 card, and he was awarded an Emmy for technology in 2020. While working for theaters in San Francisco in 1968, the now commonly known title of sound designer was first used to describe the work Dan was doing.

George Edwards is the General Manager for Sound Image Productions, a division of Sound Image that is located in the San Francisco Bay Area. His career has included working in every live sound position from FOH in small clubs to full production of large-scale musical events with some of the biggest names in entertainment. Along the way, George has developed long lasting friendships with people like Dave Shadoan, who hired George to run his production company. During his insightful interview for the NAMM Oral History program, George shared some of the lessons in business, as well as

Mark Engebretson has enjoyed a very long and successful career in pro audio product design and engineering.  In fact, when he was introduced at the 2013 Parnelli Awards to receive the Audio Innovators Award, it was suggested that his finger prints were on more audio products than just about anyone else!  Mark was a part of the teams at Altec Lansing, Paramount Pictures, JBL Professional and QSC, to name a few, that produced cutting edge products for everything from sound systems for film to line array technologies. 

Rikki Farr has been an active member of the audio engineering community most of his life and has been involved in countless innovations along the way.  Rikki’s incredible career spans concert promotions, music recording, and audio design, including product engineering. While working concert promotions, Rikki booked Jimi Hendrix, The Who…wait, it might be easier to list the only act we can think of that Rikki didn’t book, Elvis.

Tony Ferguson has had an amazing career in music! He began playing guitar at a young age growing up in England, touring with bands such as Unit 4 + 2 and Christie before switching to the record industry as a producer, manager and as Artist & Repertoire (A&R) for over 20 years. While working for Stiff Records he toured the United States, Europe and Spain working with Elvis Costello and several early Punk bands. A few years later he became A&R for the newly formed Interscope Records. Tony signed the band No Doubt in 1991 and worked with them on their first two albums, th

Jim Fitzpatrick’s passion as an award-winning sound mixer can be traced back to fourth grade when he began playing trumpet and later trombone in the school band. During those early years Jim also developed an interest in electronics. While acting as a roadie for his band as a teenager, he would fix up the gear and learn the inner workings of all the sound equipment. In 1975 he served as the maintenance man for the Record Plant in New York. Jim later moved to Westlake Audio where he helped design and build studio A and B.

Randy "Baja" Fletcher was a well respected production manager of live events who won the 2010 Parnelli Life Time Achievement Award for his dedication to the industry.  His long and passionate career included work with ZZ Top, Randy Travis and the entire touring career of Brooks & Dunn!  Baja's creativity and innovative spirit inspired many within the industry as he pushed the envelope regarding staging, lighting, sound and shipping.  In addition, Baja is credited for several innovations within the industry regarding load-in all the way to wiring boards and speakers. He died af

Mark Frink has been providing well respected and well attended sessions within the Tec Tracks programs during the Anaheim NAMM Shows for several years.  His background in audio engineering and touring has given him the ideal background to relate to those seeking to improve their skills on the road and in the studio.  Among Mark’s major concert tours, for which he provided sound engineering, were the Gypsy Kings in 1991, Tony Bennett in 1994 and Joni Mitchell in 2000.

Jim Gamble envisioned a console that would give an engineer ultimate control of the audio being mixed.  He started by working for one of the original sound reinforcement companies and helped write the book on the touring industry.  The experiences that he had working with some of the most revered  bands of all time, over decades, helped influence his consoles designs.  The number of bands are too numerous to mention but were many of the leading acts in each decade for the last fifty years.  Mr. Gamble designs and manufactures both house and monitor consoles.

Stuart Gray landed his first job in Live Sound as a roadie when he was a teenager. He was living close to the Apollo Theater in New York and thanks to his Godfather, Benjamin Ashburn, was hired to put dry ice over the floor of the stage for a special effect for the Commodores. This was back in 1971! Before too long, while learning all he could from the crew, Stuart assisted the sound engineer, which he enjoyed. He became Front of House engineer for groups such as Force MCs and production manager for Rick James. While working with Ashford & Simpson, he was asked to assist with

Greg Herreman became the Front of House engineer at the Backdoor Club in San Diego while still in college. The venue attracted nationally known performers, which was a perfect training ground for Greg, who worked there from 1973-1978. He also worked sound for television programs and live events such as the San Diego Folk Festival and the 1984 Olympics. In 2002 he joined the NAMM Show team and provided staging and sound reinforcement for all of the stages at one point. He also plays an important role in the annual Tribute program by directing the bagpipe band to and from the specia

Mark Hogue is a legendary stage manager whose unparalleled experience spans over five decades, covering virtually every role in live sound production. His journey began in 1972 when he joined Maureen McGovern on tour just as her hit "The Morning After" climbed the charts. The extended tour exposed Mark to various aspects of production, and he quickly fell in love with the fast-paced, ever-changing nature of live sound. From there, he transitioned to providing audio for Bluegrass festivals, further honing his expertise. A pivotal moment in Mark’s career came when a sales rep from S

Terry (TJ) Jackson served as audio engineer for live events with such artists as Michael Jackson, Earth Wind & Fire, BB King and Anita Baker. TJ befriended the members of Tony! Toni! Toné! early in their career and helped the group with their sound system before they could afford to pay the going rate usually charged by professionals. When their career took off, they were sure to hire TJ to help with sound. Word of mouth spread of TJ's many skills and soon he served as guitar tech on tour with Whitney Houston, which led to his work with Ms. Baker and Michael Jackson.

Lance “KC” Jackson was always the one to fix the instruments in the band growing up. He realized early on the importance of learning a little bit of everything and continuing to educate himself on new programs and gear over the years. This approach to his career led to an impressive list of artists he has worked with such as Rick James, Marvin Gaye, Sheila E, Earth Wind & Fire and so many others! In the early 2000s, along with Bill Reeves, he formed Roadies of Color United in hopes of creating a much-needed community with fellow roadies. Their main goal is to put a spotlight o

Buford Jones has thoroughly enjoyed his career as a live sound mixer and FOH engineer for over 50 years. He toured in excess of 47 years with artists such as Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Eric Clapton, ZZ Top and Linda Ronstadt, just to name five. Buford pioneered mixing in stereo (in the early 1970s) and later did the same for mixing in surround sound (such as for Pink Floyd’s “Delicate Sound of Thunder”). Buford began his career touring for Showco, where he stayed for ten years before becoming an independent contractor where he was able to work directly with the artists.

Karrie Keyes grew up with a deep appreciation and understanding of art. She played in both band and orchestra at school. As a teenager in Los Angeles in the early days of the punk rock movement, Karrie began helping load out gear for local bands. The staging company Rat Sound hired her and before long Karrie was mixing sound at live concerts by the likes of The Spin Doctors and Pearl Jam. As her reputation grew, she was asked to speak at various conferences, such as AES in 2012 where she was asked to join a panel of other women in Live Sound. The panel gave her a chance to meet ot

Peter Kowalczyk found an old Silver Tone Guitar in his attic as a kid that belonged to his father, who encouraged Peter to play.  He surrounded himself with music and found a position years later in high school in the school play as a music tech.  It was there that Peter first put his hands on a mixing console.  And the rest wasn’t quite history, but close.  Peter found his passion in audio engineering.  Hired by Meyer Sound, Peter found great satisfaction in working with loud speaker technology as a driver tester as well as acoustic research and testing within the R&D of loud

Wes Lane is respectfully known as The Voice of God at the NAMM Show. He earned the name as the main announcer introducing CEO Joe Lamond and his many guests during the Breakfast of Champions on the opening day of the Anaheim trade show, and during the Breakfast Sessions on each other day during the show. His passion for sound began as a child in Texas listening to his father’s audio gear. He had a successful career in television before becoming a team member of Freeman Companies. Wes became the account manager for NAMM beginning with the Austin, TX Summer Show, soon becoming a vit

Meg Leighton is a beloved floor manager at the NAMM Show, but did you know she was also a pioneering Live Sound rigger? She was among the few women climbing scaffolding for touring rock bands in the late 1980s and 90s. It all started while she was in high school and attended a comedy program in Boulder, Colorado. She was fascinated by the many people she saw behind the stage. After hanging around the club they soon put her to work and her skills on all levels of roadie roles soon developed. The first stage she helped build was at Folsom Stadium in 1985 for Van Halen’s 5051 tour.

Terry Lowe is the founder of Timeless Communications Corp. (TCC) and the publisher of several important trade magazines including FRONT of HOUSE (FOH), Musical Merchandise Review (MMR) and Projection, Lights & Staging News (PLSN). Terry played drums professionally until his mid-20s when he shifted focus to a career behind the scenes with roles as manager and booking agent for several bands and marketing/advertising manager for music magazines (He was with Performance magazine for 3-years and Mix Magazine for 7-years.) as well as launching PLSN in 2000, which was just months af

Denny Mack was surrounded by music his entire life! His father was a Vaudeville performer and it seems all Denny ever wanted to do was be involved with music. He played drums at sock-hops when he was in school and continued to be in rock trios throughout college. Along the way he developed a keen interest in audio equipment and live sound production. While going out on the road as a drummer with a number of acts, he learned all he could from the audio engineers about the role of the Front of House and monitor engineers.

Charles Mallett is the audio engineer for Jim Gamble and Associates in Lake Tahoe.  Since working with Jim, Charles has worked on the DCX products and mixes Front Of House on a Gamble board at the Crystal Bay Casino.  The casino, located on the north shore of Lake Tahoe, includes two performance rooms, both with Gamble boards.  As a result of the yearlong performance line up, Charles mixes a wide range of styles and band sizes and gear.  Working with Jim and gaining his insights as to why the board was designed in certain ways, makes the mixing for Charles a thrill and a wonderful

Jim Mathews played drums and formed a band when he was just ten years old. He was encouraged by his mother, who was a singer in the big bands during the swing era. He soon developed a strong interest in audio equipment as he could see how gear could help the band improve its sound and performances.

Kevin McGinty is the audio engineer and Front of House for one of the most historic venues in music, the Grand Ole Opry, in Nashville, Tennessee. Kevin began mixing Live Sound while in high school and later attended Belmont University studying Piano and Music Business. In 1986 he worked as the FOH mixer for the Exit/In and put PA systems in other clubs and concert halls around Nashville. He finished his degree in 1993 at Middle Tennessee State University. In 2003 Kevin joined the Grand Ole Opry team as their audio engineer, a position he says is never boring, and after each perfor

Dan Melson was born into a show-business family. He worked as the assistant electrician for the Local 33 Stage Technicians Union for roughly 35 years. Over the years, Dan worked on hundreds of rock shows, basketball and hockey games, circuses, conventions shows, and much more.  And has he seen changes to the industry and gear?  Dan remembers a place that had gas lights for the stage, although he really isnt that old!