While I know this may seem a bit off target for this list, I know some
of you knew John.
This news came out of the blue as I had a package of discs sitting on
the kitchen counter which I was about to mail him.
John was not only one of the brightest and most informed individuals I
have ever known, but he was also one of the most generous I have ever
encountered.
As is mentioned in the note below, John was a musician and as always let
the music speak for itself in his recordings. His work with the Seattle
Symphony is some of his best. I am reminded of the clarity he brought
to those recordings...it was as though you could hear every note being
played.
He was happy to share his knowledge and was always willing to lend his
educated ear to all of our recording projects.
For me, his work was the equal, if not better than that of the Fines and
Lewis Layton.
From: Garry Margolis
Subject: John Eargle...
It is with great sadness that I inform you that John Eargle, one
of the finest audio engineers and teachers it's been my privilege
to know, has passed away.
He was scheduled to speak to an Audio Engineering Society chapter
in Minnesota on Tuesday evening, and when he failed to communicate
with them, his JBL colleagues went to his home and found his
body.
John had a Masters in Music from Eastman and a Masters in
Electrical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma. He
was a fine pianist -- he had a Boesendorfer Concert Grand with
extended bass in his living room, and it shared the room with
his Steinway D until the latter was sold. His superb musicianship
was evident in the many recordings he engineered for Delos.
I met him when we worked together at JBL, and we quickly became
friends as well as colleagues. Although he retired from recording
a few years ago, he continued to consult for Harman International
as well as write and revise his superb textbooks on audio. He
was a regular lecturer at the Aspen Recording Institute every
summer, and he was a frequent speaker at both Acoustical Society
of America and Audio Engineering Society meetings.
For the past two decades, I had the privilege of assisting him
with his computing needs. He was expert in computer technical
drawing -- he did all of his own book illustrations -- and, with
the changes in technical publishing, he became fluent in page
layout as well. In recent years, he took up photography with
typically excellent results.
Because he lived alone and was concerned about what could happen
if he had a medical emergency, he recently decided to sell his
home in the hills above the Hollywood Bowl and move into a
retirement community. Ironically, his concern was justified.
Requiescat in pacem, my friend...
Garry
Karl
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