Inventor of Moog Synthesizer Dies at 71

Bob Moog, inventor of the Moog synthesizer, died of brain cancer yesterday, August 21st, at his home in Asheville, NC. According to the Moog website, Bob was diagnosed with brain cancer in late April. But despite radiation treatment and chemotherapy, Bob could no longer fend off the disease and died at the age of 71.

"Bob has been such a huge inspiration to all of us," said Moog Music President Mike Adams. "In losing him, we lose a creator, visionary and friend. He was someone who taught us well and he was proud of this company and its people. Bob shaped music in deep and meaningful ways by changing how music could be produced and ultimately, how it would sound."

The Moog synthesizer has had a profound affect on modern music. From The Beatles and Herbie Hancock to Weezer and Get Up Kids to Funkadelic and (most famously) Wendy Carlos, the Moog synthesizer drastically expanded the sonorical vocabulary of Western music, essentially redefining the conventions of musical sound while opening up endless possibilities for artists to explore.

In his memory, Bob's family has established The Bob Moog Foundation, dedicated to the Advancement of Electronic Music. No public memorial is planned, but fans and friends can share sympathies or remembrances at this website: www.caringbridge.com/visit/bobmoog.

Weezer and Get Up Kids are the first artists I think of when it comes to the moog. Thanks for the technology, Bob.

Which I could afford to buy one of his instruments.