Bill Hanley
Concert-sound engineer, Hanley Sound
Major contribution
Hanley integrated high-fidelity amplification and loudspeaker systems into large outdoor festival rigs, notably for Woodstock.
Hanley founded Hanley Sound in Medford, Massachusetts, in 1954. Working with his brother Terry, he brought microphones, amplification and cinema-derived loudspeaker technology together to improve audience coverage at live events.
His work included Newport festivals, the 1965 presidential inauguration and Woodstock in 1969. Rather than relying on venue announcement systems, Hanley developed purpose-built event systems with the goal of giving distant listeners a satisfying musical experience.
Key work
- Hanley Sound establishment (1954)
- Newport Folk Festival sound (1965)
- Lyndon Johnson inauguration sound (1965)
- Woodstock sound system (1969)
In the chronology
Selected sources
- Bill Hanley & Hanley Sound · Music Museum of New England
- Parnelli Innovator Honoree, Father of Festival Sound · Front of House