Inventor. Born in Danville, Illinois, he and his family moved to southern California in 1913. He acquired knowledge in mechanics, radio and electronics while working at various jobs, including employment at Naval Research Laboratories during WWII. With his interest in music, at the introduction of the Hammond Organ, he invented a unique rotor speaker system, which was called the "Leslie Speaker" in 1937. This system is used in all styles of music on Hammond organs, pianos and other electronic instruments worldwide. He established Electro Music, in Pasadena and manufactured the Leslie Speaker there for over forty years. CBS acquired his company in 1965, and it became part of CBS Musical Instruments. His more than fifty patents also included radio control model trains and control chlorination systems for swimming pools. He was inducted into the American Music Conference Hall of Fame in 2003. At age 93, he passed away of natural causes in his home in Altadena, California.
Inventor. Born in Danville, Illinois, he and his family moved to southern California in 1913. He acquired knowledge in mechanics, radio and electronics while working at various jobs, including employment at Naval Research Laboratories during WWII. With his interest in music, at the introduction of the Hammond Organ, he invented a unique rotor speaker system, which was called the "Leslie Speaker" in 1937. This system is used in all styles of music on Hammond organs, pianos and other electronic instruments worldwide. He established Electro Music, in Pasadena and manufactured the Leslie Speaker there for over forty years. CBS acquired his company in 1965, and it became part of CBS Musical Instruments. His more than fifty patents also included radio control model trains and control chlorination systems for swimming pools. He was inducted into the American Music Conference Hall of Fame in 2003. At age 93, he passed away of natural causes in his home in Altadena, California.
Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith
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