Greetings
kids........hope you all are happy & well......happy
new year too!
the name Dr. Don Pearson may not ring a bell with
MANY of you Jefferson fans...
maybe MC & a FEW of the band....but without him...da
J*S, Dead & Hot Tuna would
have NOT had the wonderful sound and success that
they did........PERIOD...!
as a 19 year-old kid fan....listening to the J*S practice
outside the hillside mansion
890 el-camino del mar, in SF [Paul Kantner & Grace
Slick's home for many years]
and watching whales & waves crash on the shore
below...I befriended Don Pearson.
He is the kindest and most talented human being i
have EVER MET....[still is!]
when i got hired to go on the road with the Jefferson's
as a teenager [imagine that!]
he was my hero,adviser,agent,uncle,dad,mentor,friend,teacher,pal,guru......ect
he introduced me to many interesting folks like Bear
& Garcia.
he and john meyer invented the most compact, loudest
and best sounding monitor
speakers & amps ever used. [at that time 1979,
still today very highly regarded]
he was very critical in the development of "in
ear monitors" [now very widely used]
and the software used to tune PA systems.....[JBL
Smart Systems...and beyond]
he was also very well known as a lecturer in regards
to using the above equipment.
After a long stint with "our" bands he
started a LONG trip with the Grateful Dead...
that lasted 20+ years.
Just wanted you to know the man i have admired most
in my 32 year sound career.
I am not alone in my deep respect for him....he has
thousands of fans worldwide!
mostly known as the systems engineer for the Dead
& as the owner of Ultra Sound
with Howard Danchik. he mentored our longtime J*S
sound man Andrew Slote among
countless others.
I asked him for some advice a few years ago on a CD
i was co-producing for Shana
Morrison's debut.....he loaned me very rare mics to
record her voice, got on the web
registered & hosted a website for her, advised
us on mixing, pressing and mastering,
then called his client the Dave Matthews Band to see
if he needed an opening act for
his summer tour!!! ....WOW!!.....[imagine if i had
asked him to help us produce it!!]
here is a super photo of him on this website....[i
have it full size now, as a desktop]
http://www.meyersound.com/news/2004/don_pearson/
ANYONE that has enjoyed the DEAD or J*S or Hot Tuna
owes Don a debit of gratitude
for his fine live sound PA tunings and Sound Board
Recordings.
I had the pleasure of installing a new Meyer PA system
in the Masonic Auditorium
with him a few years ago, with weeks of work and follow-up
tunings & meetings.
I found a wonderful interview with don & phil
lesh on david gans fine radio show.
http://www.well.com:70/0/Art/grateful_dead/pearson.txt
http://www.dozin.com/ultrasound/main.html interview
with pro sound news
http://www.prosoundweb.com/news/1204/meyer_dr_don.php
Don Pearson DIED Monday morning at the hands of a
marin doctor doing a heart procedure that was to help
him live a longer life......he was NOT even seriously
ill.
his "overnight bag" was left in his car
as he was expected to be going home soon.
no strokes......no heart attack ever...no hep-c...
[like our late brother Chet Helms]
as his Marin county town [San Anselmo] flooded on
NY day i wanted to call him
and did not for some reason, not wanting to bother
him i guess...i now regret this.
a thousand friends and fans will be VERY SAD as news
now quickly spreads.
EXPECT a giant memorial concert at the Fillmore Auditorium
soon.
[we are looking at open dates in the latter part of
this month, january 2006]
We were NOT done with you brother.....! Will miss
you every day we live-on,
thanks for your wonderful mentoring and friendship
Don.......Rest in Peace
My deepest condolences go out to his wife Fran, his
friends, colleagues and family.
His warm and generous spirit will be missed by all
of us. I loved him greatly.
His was a life of great success! He helped and touched
many others.
John Murray
Jefferson Starship 1979-2005
your great friend for 28 short years