By John Kane
Author and documentary producer John Kane, who had interviewed legendary live audio pioneer Robert J. Kiernan over the years and knew him well, recently penned this In Memoriam tribute to Kiernan, who died at his home in Burlington, VT last fall at age 84.
In October 2024, live sound pioneer Robert J. Kiernan died of natural causes at his home in Burlington, Vermont, at the age of 84.
In a business as young as the concert sound and production live music industry, it’s challenging to identify who was the “first” to innovate. In the beginning, there were very few; Bob Kiernan was one of them.
In 2011, at the beginning of my research on the subject, there were very few identifiable, comprehensive, and complete sources that told the entire history of concert sound. Or at least good data that outlined its timeline from its fledgling beginnings at the rise of popular music in the 1950s. After uncovering this rich history and placing it into an identifiable chronology, one name kept surfacing — Kiernan Sound.
Within this story Bob Kiernan should be classified as a first-generation sound engineer, helping shape the industry from the early 1960s onward. His New York City based sound company Creative Theatrical Services (a.k.a. Kiernan Sound) was one of the firsts in this part of the country that could handle large concert sound. A term, that I mustered out of necessity, “first generation” identifies the transitional moment when a shift from public address operator to sound engineer occurred to sonically accommodate electric music in a live concert setting.
At that time Bob Kiernan was part of a small, elite group of innovators whose sole purpose was to make live music sound better. Spotted throughout the U.S. (and UK), these individuals included Bill Hanley (Hanley Sound, Medford, MA), Stan Miller (Stanal Sound, Kearney, NE), Harry McCune Sr. (McCune Sound, San Francisco, CA), Jim Meagher (Meagher Electronics, Monterey, CA), Don Nielson (Swanson Sound, Oakland, CA) and Charlie Watkins (Watkins Electric Music, UK). Because of their influence and fly-by-the-seat-your-pants innovations, these pioneers carved a path for future generations of sound companies to come. While interviewing production pioneers like Bill Hanley, Stan Miller, and Chip Monck, they repeatedly suggested, “If you want to learn about the history of live sound in NYC, you need to talk to Kiernan.”
In 2013, I managed to track down the elusive engineer in Burlington, VT. I caught up with him when he was working at Production Advantage Inc. By this time, Kiernan had long been out of the concert business. From what I gathered, he didn’t take his legacy and impact all that seriously. However, after learning more, his influence on the industry was a cup overfilled and ready to be shared with the world. We set up a time to meet near his home in Vermont where we sat for hours, chatting in detail about his incredible legacy and the history of this young industry.
Before Kiernan’s contributions to the live music industry in the mid-60s, systems of sound were mostly non-existent in a concert setting, often referred to as public address (PA). Beginning in the 1930s up until the 1950s, PA systems were usually only available at small local rental or retail shops that also sold radios, televisions, and electronics. These PA systems were either rented or permanently installed, depending on the size or need for sporting and community events, political rallies, halls, and churches. As a result, the low-powered sound technology did not meet the requirements of popular music’s rapid trajectory. The Beatles exemplified this problem, ceasing touring because they could not hear themselves above screaming fans. Many vocal groups of the day, such as The Cowsills, The Chambers Brothers, and The Youngbloods, have also proclaimed that until the innovations of sound engineers like Bill Hanley, Stan Miller, Henry McCune Sr., and Bob Kiernan that they simply could not hear themselves on stage. According to Kiernan, by 1964 NYC had hardly any sound companies that could handle anything beyond Broadway theater productions. “There were very few sound companies in New York during the mid-1960s,” he said.
Born in 1940, Robert James Kiernan grew up in the Bronx, eventually finding his passion for stage, and theater technology at Cardinal Hayes High School. “Being behind the scenes intrigued me,” recalls Kiernan. After a post-high school job at a local summer theater, earning just $10 a week (including room and board), Kiernan learned skills in staging, lighting and sound. When he was at Manhattan College he caught the show business bug, eventually working the burgeoning college circuit in stage and lighting. While freelancing in the early 1960s, Kiernan studied the trending needs for full production for his clients and eventually became the sole provider of much-needed sound reinforcement installations.
By 1963, through various connections, Kiernan became the primary sound engineer at Basin Street East, a popular nightclub at 137 East 48th Street. There he brushed shoulders with Benny Goodman, Woody Allen, Count Basie and Barbra Streisand. Located in the back of the club, Kiernan sat in a small booth enclosure just over the heads of the audience. In this position, he controlled a small Altec system, simultaneously aiming a followspot at the performer on stage. While at the venue, Kiernan met light design pioneer Chip Monck who was working at the Village Gate located at the corner of Thompson and Bleecker Streets. According to Monck, “Kiernan was doing about the same as I was at The Village Gate, just a little more complicated. He was an important figure in the industry.” Eventually, in 1964, the Ford Motor Company contacted Kiernan to assist with a series of free college shows across the US.
Growing exponentially, by 1966, NYC promoters Hilly Kristal and Ron Delsener contracted the engineer for full production of the successful Central Park Music Festival where Kiernan’s company supported many notable acts like: The Who, Bob Marley, Led Zeppelin (w BB King), Elvin Bishop (w Aerosmith), The Chambers Brothers, Chicago, Ike and Tina, The Beach Boys, Mountain and Peter Frampton, to name a few. Attendees were impressed with both the talent performing and with the sound provided for the events, which became known as the Schaefer Music Festivals after the concert series’ primary beer sponsor.
The Central Park concerts launched Kiernan’s career and his newly established company. “I officially named it Creative Theatrical Services, but people just kept calling it ‘Kiernan Sound,’” laughs Bob. By the end of the ‘60s into the ‘70s, Kiernan Sound had more work than it could handle, storing equipment in local warehouses and renting when needed. Engineer and Stanal Sound employee Jerry Hogerson recalls those days:
“When I worked for Stanal Sound, we would occasionally send our portable speakers to Bob in New York. We would fly them as excess baggage, which was only $4 if the box was under 70 lbs. A couple of times we printed Bob’s name on the side of the boxes, bought a ticket from Frontier Airlines in Kearney, NE to NYC, and loaded the speakers on as baggage. We canceled our ticket at the last minute and got a refund (we were “friends of Frontier”) but the two 70 lb boxes went to NYC for $4 each. Bob picked it up at the airport in the baggage dept. His name was on the boxes. This, of course, was all pre DB Cooper!”
As the Vietnam War and the resulting counterculture scene grew, big act tours and large festivals surfaced nationally. In 1968, Bob Kiernan became the first Local One soundman for the Broadway musical HAIR. He is credited with “Sound by Robert Kiernan” on the album soundtrack. Industry veteran Peter Erskine, who worked for Kiernan Sound remembers, “At one point, we did weekend tours with Simon & Garfunkel for Bridge over Troubled Water. We also did a concert in the Bronx with Sly and the Family Stone right before they went to Woodstock. Bob was the first person I ever worked for in the business.”
During the early 1970s, Kiernan supported many performances at Madison Square Garden. According to Kiernan Sound engineer Jon Jaboolian, “We did more miles in an all-aluminum Grumman converted pie truck than I care to remember. Long days, longer flights, short money, but oh, the history I experienced because of him.” Kiernan recalls these arduous days with great fondness. “JJ and I did an MSG gig in October 1972. The promoter was Sid Bernstein (along with Shirley MacLaine) produced this all-women concert fundraiser. The next month we were back at the Garden with Sly Stone… 1972 was busy and fun for me. I appreciated working with JJ.”
By the mid-1970s, Kiernan Sound was involved with several major international tours supporting such acts as Engelbert Humperdinck, Tom Jones, Marvin Gaye, and Bob Marley. Many say that Kiernan was one of the firsts in the business to set a standard of pricing for the touring industry. According to Roy Clair of the Clair Brothers, there was much to learn from Kiernan’s influence. “I am almost sure that he charged Tom Jones $1,000 a concert! I think that is the most anyone received until then. The most we made was $400 to $500.”
Eventually, Kiernan became known for his quality of service, moving to Las Vegas by the late 1970s into the early 1980s where he ended his career as Frank Sinatra’s exclusive sound engineer. On January 26, 1980, Kiernan was preparing for what is now remembered as a pivotal moment in music history – Frank Sinatra in Rio de Janeiro at Maracana Stadium. The promoter, Roberto Medina, is also known for the Rock in Rio Festivals, occurring just five years later. Sinatra’s influential performance for more than 140,0000 in Rio opened doors for many major artists to perform in Brazil for years to come. “Sinatra was Medina’s beginning” recalled Kiernan, who served as designer and production manager for the complex setup. He also mixed and called the lights for the show. A-1 Audio was contacted to provide an elaborate sound system for the evening.
While on tour with Sinatra, many witnessed Kiernan’s unique multitasking approach to his craft. Clair Brothers engineer Michael Wolpert recalls a show with Sinatra at the Met in NYC. “Bob was the house engineer, the monitor engineer, and the lighting engineer all at the same time! The show sounded and looked great as always with Bob at the electronic helm.” Engineer Lucas Rico Corrubia remembers, “Kiernan taught me how to EQ a room. I worked with him with Sinatra. He came to the Golden Nugget in the ‘80s in Atlantic City.” Kiernan’s influence was felt throughout the industry well into the 1980s. According to Keith Hubbell, who briefly worked with the engineer, “I had a few shows with Bob when I was with A1-Audio in Hollywood. I recall that he wore a Clear-Com headset in one ear and used the other for headphones, calling all the light cues while mixing the show! He was a nice guy too.” Eventually, by the late 1980s, Bob had decided to shift direction and close shop.
Bob Kiernan was incredibly humble and told no BS. He and I remained connected, every month or so receiving a surprise text. “How’s everything in Kane’s world?” When I came back to the Green Mountains each summer, we would meet at his favorite restaurant, never allowing me to pick up the tab. Kiernan’s laser-piercing intense Irish blue eyes unveiled an adventurous life lived.
Here’s to you Bob.
—John Kane
John Kane is the author of Pilgrims of Woodstock (Indiana University Press, 2019), The Last Seat in the House: The Story of Hanley Sound (University Press of Mississippi 2020), and A Search for Something Sacred: The Rise and Fall of the American Rock Festival (University Press of Mississippi 2025), He has also authored articles published in The Washington Post, New Hampshire Union Leader and FOH Magazine. Currently, Kane is a NH College Professor of Popular Music Studies, Media, Communications, and Visual Art. Kane is also the director and producer of the 2025 Documentary, The Last Seat in the House.
