Clair Brothers

Clair Brothers is an audio manufacturer and sound reinforcement company founded by brothers Roy Clair and Gene Clair in 1966 in Lititz, Pennsylvania. Clair Brothers is among the world's largest and oldest sound reinforcement companies. In 2009 it split into a touring sound, lights, staging and logistics company, Clair Global, and professional sound products and AVL integration company, Clair Brothers Audio Systems.^[1] In 2014, Clair Brothers Audio Systems unveiled a new trade name and logo for its audio, video and lighting (AVL) integration division: Clair Solutions. The Clair Brothers brand continues to apply to the company’s audio products manufacturing division.^[2]

History

Brothers Roy and Gene Clair grew up in Lititz, Pennsylvania, where their parents owned a grocery store. Their father bought them a small Public address system in 1955 which they started to rent out to bands, schools, and churches. It consisted of a horn loudspeaker, a Stromberg-Carlsson integrated preampilfier, a 35-watt power amp and a microphone. Money they earned went to buying more equipment. Through high school, college and after they continued to rent it out and add to it.^[1]

Their first business was a loudspeaker reconing business, Clair Reconing, which fixed loudspeakers. This is where they first started learning about loudspeaker design and how important it is to efficiency.^[1]

In the early 1960s Gene began working as a technician for Franklin & Marshall College in nearby Lancaster, Pennsylvania, which gave them opportunities to rent out their sound system. Their sound system consisted of two columns with six eight-inch speakers each, a Bogen amplifier and four Shure 55s microphones and rented for $95 a night.

Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons

Their big break came in 1966. They provided sound to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons at a local show. Their road crew was impressed by the Clair Brothers sound system. Roy asked to be invited into their dressing room, where he talked about why the system sounded so good. The next day the band had a show in Allentown, Pennsylvania, which sounded terrible. They contacted the Clair brothers through a local DJ and asked them to come down with their system. Just before these two concerts they had done a show with Herb Alpert, who had not allowed them to use his superior sound system, and they were stuck with the poor house sound system. This made them realize the benefit of traveling with their own sound system. Once again impressed with the Clair brothers sound system, the tour manager asked them to join them on the road for the rest of the tour, bringing their sound system. It is believed they were the first professional sound company to tour with a band.^[3]

References