Passing of Don Leslie :-(

  • Thread starter Thread starter Unsprung
  • Start date Start date
U

Unsprung

New member
Found out, today, that Don Leslie, inventor of the rotary tone cabinet that bears his name, has passed away...heart problems is all I've heard of, for now. More details, as soon as I find anything...or feel free to jump in with 'em, as ya get 'em.

Matt Lawrence
 
I've been lookig all over the net and have found nothing. Where did you here of this tradgic news? :(
 
Found out on an IRC chat, on the StarChat network, in a chat channel called #hamtech. Several regular chatters, who are also regulars with the HamTech (Hammond Technical) e-mail list, knew Mr. Leslie personally, so my condolences to those who actually knew the genius that gave the world the "Hammond sound." Still know details, as of yet, except that he lived to be 93.

Matt
 
The latest, from my latest Hamtech List digest...authored by Harvey Olsen:

Don Leslie died peacefully Thursday night, about 9:00 PM at his home in
Altadena, California.**His wife Carolyn, sons Jim and Scott, and daughter Janeen,
were with him.**Don had requested direct cremation, so there will be no public
wake.

There will be a memorial service next Saturday, September 11, at 4:30 PM at
the family home.**Personal friends are also invited to attend.
 
What a good end to a fine life. Aged 93, and passes away peacefully.

I've owned Leslie speakers for years.. never knew the inventor was still alive at the time.
 
Don Leslie obituary.

This was published in the Pasadena Star-News, Sunday, September 5, 2004
----
LESLIE-Donald James Leslie, Born Danville, Illinois, April 13, 1911, Passed
away September 2 at home at the age of 93. Parents were Benjamin Franklin
Leslie, and Lucy Keller Leslie. Preceded in death by his sisters Dorothy,
Helen, Eva, Mary and brother Robert Joseph. He is survived by Carolyn, his
wife of 48 years, daughter Jeanine, sons Scott and James, six
grandchildren, and sister Mary Elizabeth Grime. The Leslie family moved to
southern California in 1913, settling in Glendale. Donald went to Glendale
schools, and graduated from Glendale Union High School in 1929. Acquired
knowledge in mechanics, radio, electronics, metals while working at various
jobs, including employment at Naval Research Laboratories in Washington
D.C. during WWII. Had considerable interest in music, mostly piano and pipe
organ. At the introduction of the Hammond Organ in the early thirties, he
invented a unique speaker system, which was called the "Leslie Speaker".
used on Hammond and other electronic organs by which he became rather
famous worldwide. He established Electro Music, in Pasadena and
manufactured the Leslie Speaker there for over forty years. CBS acquired
his company in 1965, and it became one of the first units of CBS Musical
Instruments. The popularity of his speaker invention earned him several
awards, including one from Hammond in 1978 that stated "Donald J. Leslie -
In recognition of his outstanding contribution and dedication in making
the Hammond-Leslie sound responsible for creating the organ industry". This
speaker invention led to about fifty patents in the musical field, some of
which changed the way in which some music was presented. Other patents
awarded to him included radio control of model trains, control and
chlorination systems for swimming pools. He was a long time resident of
Pasadena, and Altadena, and a member of Annandale Golf Club for many years.
His hobbies included Tennis, Music, Model railroads, and Flying private
aircraft around the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Family and friends are
welcome for a celebration of life for Don at the Leslie residence in
Altadena Saturday, September 11th beginning at 4:30. In lieu of flowers,
contributions in Don's memory can be made to the American Diabetes
Association, P.O. Box 1132, Fairfax, VA 22038-1132. CABOT & SONS, PASADENA
DIRECTORS
 
What a beautiful life

Don invented a speaker that made and makes all the difference in the world when it comes to sound.
I LOVE leslie speakers!
I live in the San Gabriel Valley and a friend of mines Dad owned Covina Hammond Organ and Berry and Grasmueck in Pasadena back in the 60's- 70's So we were around Electro-Music a bit. I delivered a shit load of leslies as a kid.
A hammond is dog crap without it IMO. I know a bit about the story but I found this article that explains it best... Funny thing Lawrence Hammond hated the leslie ..He felt it destroyed all he had worked to attain...Course some 30+ years later Hammond Organs gave Don an award......

The Leslie Speaker
Your Guide, John Babich From John Babich,
Your Guide to Blues.
The Amazing Leslie Speaker

The Hammond organ owes much of it's sound to a speaker system called a Leslie. Named after it's ingenious inventor, Don Leslie. Leslie also invented 3-D movies and missile guidance systems. While working on 3-D movies, he wanted a way to make the soundtrack more three dimensional. Hammond had developed a rotating drum speaker, but Leslie really developed and perfected it.

Leslie did this by splitting the audio input in two. Sending the high frequencies to a tweeter speaker and the low frequencies to the woofer speaker. Both speakers in turn blast into a rotating horn. These two horns are hooked to two-speed electric motors that rotate the horns in opposite directions. The sound is sprayed around a 360 degree circle giving the organ a tremolo effect. There is a slow speed and a fast speed with a switch on the organ that the player can use to make the speed change.

This experiment in 3-D sound failed but theater organ players tapped into the Leslies and a new sound was born. It is a marriage made in heaven.

With the combination of the Hammond tone generator, drawbars, tremolo effect and doppler effect (the reason a sound from an object is higher pitched as it travels toward you, and lower pitched when it's traveling away from you), one of the most unique musical instruments man has contrived comes to life.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top