Robert Moog, the mastermind behind the creation of the electronic music synthesizer that carries his name died of an inoperable brain tumor on Sunday. He was 71. The end came at his home in Asheville, North Carolina.
Moog's synthesizer, which first came to be noticed in 1963, was the first of its kind that enabled musicians to recreate sounds of nature by the flip of a switch or the slide of a knob. His synthesizer was popular among musicians because of its versatility. The instrument’s popularity can be gauged form the fact that the Beatles used it on their 1969 album "Abbey Road." Who can forget the creepy sound on the soundtrack of "A Clockwork Orange"? The sound was created courtesy the Moog synthesizer.
Robert Moog (rhymes with vogue) was born on May 23, 1934 and was brought up in New York. At an early age he was fascinated by the theremin, one of the first electronic musical instruments. Moog started building and selling his own thermins while still in college. He majored in physics from Queens College and electrical engineering from Columbia University. A Ph.D. in engineering physics from Cornell University added to his impressive academic credentials. "I'm an engineer," Mr. Moog had said in 2000. "I see myself as a toolmaker, and the musicians are my customers. They use the tools." If so, he had an equally impressive list of 'tools,' that included Manfred Mann, Yes, Pink Floyd, the Black Eyed Peas and Mariah Carey.
Paying rich tribute to the master behind the musicians, Charles Carlini, a New York City concert promoter said, "He brought electronic music to the masses and changed the way we hear music. He's like an Einstein of music. Every time you listen to the radio, you listen to Robert Moog's influence." Carlini had staged the Moogfest in 2004 on the occasion of the golden anniversary of the R.A. Moog Co.
Robert Moog was honored with a Grammy Award for lifetime achievement in 1970. He is survived by his wife, Ileana; three daughters, a son and a stepdaughter.
