Owsley Stanley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Owsley Stanley
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Stanley in 1967 at his arraignment
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Augustus Owsley Stanley III
January 19, 1935 Kentucky, U.S.
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| Died | March 12, 2011 (aged 76) Queensland, Australia
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| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Bear |
| Citizenship | Naturalised Australian |
| Occupation | Audio engineer |
| Known for | Wall of Sound |
| Title | "Patron of Thought" |
| Spouse(s) | Sheilah Stanley |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Augustus O. Stanley, grandfather |
Augustus Owsley Stanley III (born January 19, 1935 – died March 12, 2011) was an American-Australian audio engineer. He was a very important person in the music scene of the 1960s. Known by his nickname Bear, he worked as the sound engineer for the famous band Grateful Dead. He recorded many of their live concerts.
Stanley also created the Wall of Sound. This was one of the biggest mobile sound systems ever built. It helped the Grateful Dead's music reach huge audiences. He also helped design the band's well-known skull logo. Owsley Stanley passed away in a car accident in Australia in 2011. He had become an Australian citizen in 1996.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Interests
Owsley Stanley was born in Kentucky in 1935. He had a strong interest in engineering and electronics from a young age. Even without finishing high school, he studied engineering at the University of Virginia. He later worked as an electronics specialist in the United States Air Force. During this time, he learned a lot about radio and sound.
After his military service, Owsley explored other interests. He even studied ballet in Los Angeles for a while. In 1963, he attended the University of California, Berkeley. He later got a technical job at a TV station called KGO-TV.
Working with the Grateful Dead
Owsley Stanley met the members of the Grateful Dead in 1965. He helped the band by supporting them financially. He also became their first sound engineer. This meant he was in charge of making sure their live music sounded great.
Along with his friend Bob Thomas, Stanley designed the Grateful Dead's famous 'Steal Your Face' logo. This logo features a lightning bolt cutting across a skull. Owsley got the idea for the lightning bolt from a sign he saw. He thought it would be a unique symbol for the band's equipment.
While working with the Grateful Dead, Owsley started recording their rehearsals and live shows. He called these recordings his "sonic journal." He wanted to use them to improve how he mixed the sound. These recordings became a huge collection of music from the 1960s San Francisco concert scene.
Recording Other Artists
Besides the Grateful Dead, Owsley Stanley recorded many other famous artists. He captured live performances of bands and musicians like Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Santana, Jimi Hendrix, and Johnny Cash. These recordings are very important for music history.
Later Career and Life
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Stanley worked as a sound engineer for Robert Hunter and Jefferson Starship. In 1982, he moved to Australia. He often returned to the United States to sell his unique jewelry. His jewelry was very popular and sold for high prices.
In 2009, Owsley Stanley made a rare public appearance in Australia. He gave talks at a conference in Melbourne.
Personal Life
Owsley Stanley believed that climate change would make the Northern Hemisphere hard to live in. This was one reason he moved to Australia in 1982. He became an Australian citizen in 1996. He lived with his wife, Sheilah, in the countryside of Tropical North Queensland. There, he created sculptures and wearable art.
For many years, Owsley Stanley followed a special diet. He believed that humans were naturally meat-eaters and ate only meat.
Death
Owsley Stanley died in a car accident in Australia on March 12, 2011. The accident happened near his home in Mareeba, Queensland. His family released a statement about his passing.
In 2015, his ashes were placed on the soundboard at the Grateful Dead's 50th anniversary celebration. This special event took place in Chicago.
Owsley Stanley Foundation
After Owsley Stanley's death, his family and friends created a non-profit organization. It is called the Owsley Stanley Foundation. This foundation works to restore and save all of Stanley's "sonic journal" recordings. They want to make sure his important audio archive is preserved for the future.
See also
- Wall of Sound
- Grateful Dead
