The 20th Annual Parnelli Awards were held Friday, June 3 during the 2022 NAMM show, with both events taking a big, if asterisked, step toward pre-pandemic normalcy. On the “normal” side, there were plenty of attendees at both events, and everyone there relished the chance to meet up again, face to face, after being kept apart for way too long. On the asterisked side, the impact of the Covid shutdown time meant that with so few live events in 2020 and 2021—and so many event and touring pros out on the road in June—the Parnelli Awards forewent the ‘Best of the Year …’ awards and instead the plaudits focused on the three Parnelli honorees for Lifetime Achievement, Visionary, and Audio Innovator. There were also awards for the Parnelli NextGen, and the four Indispensable Technology product awards. It was a fun-filled, memorable evening, long overdue!
At the very last minute, Covid managed a disheartening surprise: Parnelli Executive Producer Terry Lowe was forced to attend only via video as he self-isolated after a family member tested positive for the virus. And though he wasn’t there to hear it, Lowe drew a big laugh when, at the end of his video welcoming the attendees and thanking the sponsors, he revealed that his professional attire did not extend below the waist. Talk about exposure!
The first of the three Parnelli Honoree awards, this one for Audio Innovator, went to Sam Berkow, the man behind SMAART, the real-time sound measurement software first developed in 1995 and still widely used by sound pros around the world. There to laud Berkow’s prowess at helping to “unleash this magic” for everyone in the audience was presenter Ken Berger, head of KB Consulting, who had also played key roles launching EAW and VUE Audiotechnik. Berkow noted how the opportunity to work with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center team was “the thrill of a lifetime” and “joked” about the irony of receiving an award for career achievement while still actively working with no thoughts of retirement, saying emphatically, “I’m not done yet!”
Michael Strickland, Bandit Lites founder and chair, was applauded by the Parnelli audience. The recipient of the Parnelli Visionary Award at the January 2020 ceremony, Strickland has worked tirelessly to keep the live entertainment production industry’s interests and financial aid needs center stage at the U.S. Congress during the many pandemic relief votes that were held following the devastating Covid shutdowns of 2020 and 2021.
PLSN Co-Editors Michael S. Eddy and Debi Moen presented two of the Indispensable Technology (IT) Awards. For Lighting, Avolites was recognized for its D9 console, which was accepted by Avolites’ Koy Neminathan, Brad White, and Stephen Baird-Smith.
The IT Award for Video was presented to ROE Visual for its Black Pearl BP2 V2 LED panels and accepted by Managing Director Frank Montero along with Tucker Downs and Nick Jevons.
This year’s Parnelli Visionary honoree, Peter Morse, stepped up to the stage to receive the honor from presenter Michael Tait, recipient of the inaugural Parnelli Visionary award in 2008. Tait noted how much he appreciated how Morse’s beautiful lighting designs “made my sets look to be worth the cost,” and how both longtime industry pros are “still working.”
Morse commented on the swift transition from conventional to automated lighting rigs he has seen during his career, from just a few moving lights on his design for Michael Jackson’s Dangerous tour to 85% automated for his design of the HIStory tour a few years later and, shortly after that, working with a fully automated rig for his design with Madonna. Morse dedicated his award to all the visionary programmers he’s worked with over the last 40 years, many of whom have become lighting designers themselves. The long list of programmer names even included PLSN Editor Emeritus, Richard “Nook” Schoenfeld.
Video congratulations for Morse came in from Barbra Streisand, Lionel Richie, Dolly Parton, and Bette Midler, who celebrated Morse, stating “I loved being bathed in his light. He made me not just beautiful, not just glamorous, but he made me look tall!”
Lance “KC” Jackson, one of the Co-Founders of Roadies of Color United, presented the NextGen award to Arica Rust. Rust earned certificates in live sound recording before graduating from San Francisco State. She was a touring systems engineer, most recently out with Wilco, before joining L-Acoustics where she now works in the Education & Scientific Outreach Department as the Trainers Network Manager for the U.S.
George Petersen and emcee Jammin’ Jay Lamont gave out the Audio IT award to Meyer Sound for its new Panther line array, which was accepted by Meyer Sound’s Engineering Director, Acoustical & Mechanical, Katharine (Katie) Murphy.
The Staging & Effects IT award was presented to Look Solutions for its fog and haze systems. This award was accepted by Look Solutions’ Nathan Kahn and Tyler Mickley.
The final honor of the evening was the Parnelli Lifetime Achievement award, which was presented by elder brother, and rock photographer, Joel Bernstein to Rock-it Global’s David Bernstein. After accepting the honor, David Bernstein regaled the crowd with stories of overcoming the inevitable challenges of a life on the road, including gigs where he worked with the namesake for the Parnelli Awards, Production Manager Rick “Parnelli” O’Brien. Crediting his family as his “true lifetime achievement,” Bernstein cited inspiration from his dad Stanley as well as the credo from Galaxy Quest, “Never Give Up, Never Surrender!” It was an apt motto for this year’s Parnelli Awards—and the live event industry as a whole—we never give up; we never surrender.
We look forward to seeing you all at next year’s 21st Annual Parnelli Awards on April 14,2023 in Anaheim, CA at the 2023 NAMM Show. Along with the three career achievement honorees, the NextGen award, and the IT awards, be sure to watch for the return of our reader nomination and voting cycles as the full slate of ‘Best of the Year’ awards will be returning for the 21st annual Parnelli Awards show. Also the Hometown Hero award will again be presented. Look for the details on the nominations and voting for various Parnelli Awards in the coming months in PLSN magazine.
The 21st Annual Parnelli Award Honorees Are…
The 21st Annual Parnelli Award Honorees have been announced, and they are Marty Garcia as the Audio Innovator Award honoree; Keny Whitright as the Visionary Award honoree; and Roy Lamb will be recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award. All three honorees will be celebrated at The 21st Parnelli Awards on April 14, 2023, in conjunction with the NAMM Show, in Anaheim, CA.
Marty Garcia, Parnelli Audio Innovator Award
While working as a live sound engineer, Garcia, who was operating Philadelphia-based Crystal Sound at the time, started experimenting with earpieces carrying a personal monitor mix. He quickly learned that consumer earbuds were problematic and turned to an audiologist to supply custom ear molds. In 1985, Todd Rundgren used his revolutionary in-ear monitors for a tour with his band Utopia. It was the first wedgeless stage. All four members were wearing Garcia’s in-ear monitors. Garcia founded Future Sonics in 1991, and soon major players such as Phil Collins, Steve Miller, and The Grateful Dead were relying on his technology. Since then, his many proprietary in-ear monitors are credited with reducing vocal/hearing fatigue while maintaining the audio dynamics necessary for a live performance.
Keny Whitright, Parnelli Visionary Award
A pioneer of the color scroller, Whitright innovated a product that while 40 years old is still in use today. The first scroller to use gel strings he built was the ColorMax, which was used by Tom Petty’s LD Jim Lenahan, and was the start of color scroll technology in the industry. Throughout the decades he would refine the design, through the company he co-founded, Wybron. The innovative technology developed by Wybron went on to be used in all segments of the live entertainment industry. Whitright’s vision went beyond color scrollers, however. During his career, he worked for Vari-Lite contributing to some of that company’s advancements in lighting, including a pan-and-tilt feature using a tracking ball. Later, at Wybron, his idea of having an artist wear a transmitter that could be followed by moving lights, was the inspiration for his Autopilot tracking system. Whitright’s vision continually moved the live event technology industry forward.
Roy Lamb, Parnelli Lifetime Achievement Award
As someone with a direct connection with many of the previous Parnelli Lifetime Achievement honorees, Roy Lamb’s career continually embodies the word achievement. In 1970, Lamb was an electrician on the Rolling Stones European tour working under Brian Croft, the first honoree of this award; and with Chip Monck, the third honoree of this award. He went on to work with Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young and the Moody Blues as a lighting crew chief. In 1980, Lamb co-founded Edwin Shirley Staging in partnership with Mike Brown, the second Parnelli Lifetime Achievement honoree. That same year, he also toured with Fleetwood Mac. In 1981, Lamb first worked with The Who as a stage manager. Today, he is once more working with The Who as production manager, a position he has held with the band since the mid-2000s. In between he’s been PM for Bryan Adams, R.E.M., Eric Clapton, Plant and Page, among many others.
