Prankster In Our Midst?
The more I find out about the history of the audio industry in the Pacific Northwest the more interesting it becomes. And I have the joy of a discovery totally unrelated to the topic at hand. Like this one:
For a while in my early years I attended Clark College in Vancouver, WA. One day Ken Kesey was scheduled to speak and although I went a little early I still ended up standing at the back. Luckily it was a small room and I could see him easily. Kesey knocked me over. It was the first time in my life I experienced charisma and I was feeling it at the back of the room. What was that? I remember it like it was yesterday.
Kesey spoke about his life, his future, our future. For some reason he brought a clean-cut, handsome young blond man out of the audience and began having a one-on-one conversation with him as part of his presentation. We all wanted to be that guy. Kesey wove thoughts of freedom, creativity, personal responsibility. I had my mind opened and glimpsed possibilities never even considered until that day. Quite a memorable experience.
More than 35 years later, I am sitting on the boat with Jay Huber, quizzing him about his youth and how he found his way into the Audio Industry. I remarked that he must have attended Clark College around when I did. We confirmed dates and he offered up one of his most distinct memories: the day Ken Kesey invited him to the front of the room.
Turns out, Jay was not only invited to the front of the room – he was invited to come live at Kesey’s farm in Eugene! Jay declined being a ’70s Merry Prankster to our benefit, going on to help shape our retail landscape and product choices. Among other contributions, he co-founded several audio companies, including Croft-Huber Sound, Definitive Audio, and White-Jay Custom Audio/Cello. Jay’s story is woven through the history of audio in the PNW and beyond, so stay tuned…
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