Roy Clair
Co-founder, Clair Brothers
Major contribution
Roy Clair co-founded Clair Brothers and helped turn artist-specific touring sound into a dedicated sound-reinforcement business.
Roy Clair built the touring sound company Clair Brothers with his brother Gene. In his account of its beginnings, the decisive step came in 1966, when the Four Seasons took the brothers on the road after their work providing sound locally.
Clair later described touring audio as a business in which dependable crews and efficient installation and removal mattered alongside the rental price. His interview emphasizes the logistical and commercial development of concert sound rather than attributing individual loudspeaker inventions to him.
Key work
- Four Seasons touring sound (1966)
- Clair Brothers touring operation (1960s onward)
- Q&A: Roy Clair, touring-sound retrospective (2009)