MOTM

Bob died around 2PM today from a large inoperable brain tumor at age 71. The 
Moog modular/MiniMoog was the (not "a", 'THE') reason I switched from being a 
chemistry/biology/physics nerd to an EE geek. Bob was always very nice and 
polite to me, last NAMM I attended (2003) he actually wandered over to my booth 
and asked to borrow my soldering iron.

The first time I met him was in 1983 at the AES convention (Audio Engineering 
Society). The room wasn't that crowded, but I was towards the back. I was 
reading the program when somebody sat next to me (which was sort of odd, there 
were lots of empty chairs) and I look up and damn near had a heart attack. Even 
though I was on the Tandy MG-1 project, I never dealt with Bob, it was David 'Mr 
PolyMoog' Luce. He probably thought I was ill because I was shaking like a leaf 
and when I tried to speak I croaked like a frog. But he was very nice and 
polite, considering just how many times people like me babble on and on to him 
(20 years later at NAMM, there were over 150 people waiting in line babbling the 
SAME STUFF).

As a side note, at that same AES I was leaving the bathroom, turning a corner 
out into the main exhibit hall, and Wendy Carlos and Dominic Molano (that big 
tall dude that was editor of Keyboard, he's like 6' 10") literally ran smack 
into me, trying to run from a pack of synth geeks (they went "out of bounds" 
back behind the exhibits, pretty funny).

My biggest "Moog highlight" though was at my second NAMM show, and there was 
this really big, noisy and over-crowded 'reception' in a tent. The place was 
absolutely jammed, and I wandered by myself way off to the far corner by this 
potted plant and there were 4 chairs empty. I sat in one, grabbed a beer, and 
PLOP, here sits Bob Moog. Now, his booth was 20 feet from mine, and we waved at 
each other but I never really talked to him that much. We chatted for like 20 
seconds, and then here comes Roger Powell, Tom Oberheim and Dave Smith. Here are 
all these famous synth designers and one of the best rock keyboard players ever 
and *ME* (the former chemistry nerd that shot Estes rockets) sitting around and 
chatting.

I wish Bob's family well and hope Big Briar lives on.

Paul S.

Even though I'm not a keyboard player and have few ties to anyone who 
is anyone in the music business, my contact with Dr. Moog was a 
pleasant surprise.  My wife expressed interest in theremins, after 
seeing a performance/lecture by Peter Pringle on the subject.  So I 
set out to purchase a Big Briar Etherwave.  I had a few technical 
questions and dialed the number to Big Briar for answers.  I got-
 "hello!  This is Bob."  Needless to say, I stammered like a fool.  He 
answered my questions, I thanked him for his time and that was it.

Thank you, again, Dr. Moog.

Chub

Hi All,

My friend Jean Jacques Perrey and his manager Lisa Haugen delivered
the sad news about Bob Moog to me today.

Here is some additional information, if you live near the Asheville,
NC area and would live to attend tomorrow's funeral for the genius
behind our beloved modular synthesizers.

By the way, this is an Orthodox Jewish funeral, so apparently they
have asked that no flowers be sent.


Rest well, Mr. Moog, and thank you.

- Dana Countryman

****

<<Robert Moog took his last breath yesterday, August 21, at 2 pm. We
will be paying tribute to his life with a Jewish funeral on Tuesday
August 23rd at 4 PM and a Memorial Celebration on Wednesday, August
24th at 12 PM.

The Memorial Celebration will be a time to pay your tribute in word
and song.

FUNERAL SERVICE: August 23, 2005 4 PM
Beth Israel Synogogue
229 Murdock Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801

(828) 252-8431
no specific dress code

Directions to Beth Israel Synaogogue:
Coming from Downtown Asheville, take Merrimon Ave. north. Go through
the light at WT Weaver Blvd (Boston Pizza is on your right).
100' later take a right past "The Hop" on Chatham and then take an
immediate right on Murdock. There is parking at the Synogogue and
across the street at WT Weaver Park.

Bob Moog is the reason I became an EE as well.

I met Bob in the early 70s.  Bob was in Cincinnati promoting the Minimoog.
I had purchased the first one in town, so I got to meet him.
I could hardly speak, but Bob was gracious as he always was.
I was entralled with the idea of a career where electronics design 
engineering and music could be combined.
One of my senior projects involved adding aftertouch to my Minimoog.  (This 
was in the late 70s before midi, etc.)

I too later ran into him at a couple of AES conventions.

When I think of the number of people whose lives he touched ...

He will be missed, but his memory will live on in every musical piece, 
played on any synthesizer.

Paul H.



----- Original Message ----- 

From: "Paul Schreiber" <synth1@...>
To: "MOTM litserv" <motm@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 21, 2005 11:29 PM
Subject: [motm] Update...Bob Moog dies


> Bob died around 2PM today from a large inoperable brain tumor at age 71. 
> The
> Moog modular/MiniMoog was the (not "a", 'THE') reason I switched from 
> being a
> chemistry/biology/physics nerd to an EE geek. Bob was always very nice and
> polite to me, last NAMM I attended (2003) he actually wandered over to my 
> booth
> and asked to borrow my soldering iron.
>
> The first time I met him was in 1983 at the AES convention (Audio 
> Engineering
> Society). The room wasn't that crowded, but I was towards the back. I was
> reading the program when somebody sat next to me (which was sort of odd, 
> there
> were lots of empty chairs) and I look up and damn near had a heart attack. 
> Even
> though I was on the Tandy MG-1 project, I never dealt with Bob, it was 
> David 'Mr
> PolyMoog' Luce. He probably thought I was ill because I was shaking like a 
> leaf
> and when I tried to speak I croaked like a frog. But he was very nice and
> polite, considering just how many times people like me babble on and on to 
> him
> (20 years later at NAMM, there were over 150 people waiting in line 
> babbling the
> SAME STUFF).
>
> As a side note, at that same AES I was leaving the bathroom, turning a 
> corner
> out into the main exhibit hall, and Wendy Carlos and Dominic Molano (that 
> big
> tall dude that was editor of Keyboard, he's like 6' 10") literally ran 
> smack
> into me, trying to run from a pack of synth geeks (they went "out of 
> bounds"
> back behind the exhibits, pretty funny).
>
> My biggest "Moog highlight" though was at my second NAMM show, and there 
> was
> this really big, noisy and over-crowded 'reception' in a tent. The place 
> was
> absolutely jammed, and I wandered by myself way off to the far corner by 
> this
> potted plant and there were 4 chairs empty. I sat in one, grabbed a beer, 
> and
> PLOP, here sits Bob Moog. Now, his booth was 20 feet from mine, and we 
> waved at
> each other but I never really talked to him that much. We chatted for like 
> 20
> seconds, and then here comes Roger Powell, Tom Oberheim and Dave Smith. 
> Here are
> all these famous synth designers and one of the best rock keyboard players 
> ever
> and *ME* (the former chemistry nerd that shot Estes rockets) sitting 
> around and
> chatting.
>
> I wish Bob's family well and hope Big Briar lives on.
>
> Paul S.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>