Project May Intro Picture

[Harvey Gerst]

I don't know if anyone mentioned this, but the Project May Intro Picture is of JBL V.P. Ray Pepe and TV actor Richard Boone.

[Robh3606]

Hello Havey

We knew who Richard Boone was but the other gentlemen was a mystery. Welcome

Rob:)

[Don McRitchie]

Hi Harvey

I assume you mean the intro picture for our discussion forum here:

http://www.audioheritage.org/images/jbl/photos/promo/thumbs/boone-pepe-4_small2.jpg

The intro picture for Project May is below, and I assume that it is of Ed. However, I have a question about that picture in the next post. I need the new post to load the picture that is from my computer.

http://www.audioheritage.org/images/projectmay/projectmay.jpg

[Don McRitchie]

Here is the original photo of Ed that was given to me by Rich. Originally, he thought that the person to the right of Ed was Bill Hartsfield, but now has second thoughts and believes he might have been a JBL distributor. Do you have any idea who this may be?

[Harvey Gerst]

The guy holding the 075 is Ray Pepe, Vice President of JBL during those years. Ed May is the guy on the left in the dark suit, leaning up against the Hartsfield. I think the Pepe/Boone picture was taken at JBL. The Ed May picture was taken at one of the Hi Hi Shows. I know the guy on the right, but I can't remember his name (he didn't work at JBL though). It MIGHT be Bill Hartsfield, but I wouldn't swear to it.

[Don McRitchie]

Ray seemed to be the stuff of legend at JBL and nobody seems to know where the myths end and the truth begins. The most outlandish myth that I ever heard was that Ray claimed to be the former comptroller for New York City before moving out to LA. I've never found any evidence of that.

From what I gather, Ray was an unparalleled charmer and loved to mix with the Hollywood elite. I understand that it was his idea to give JBL products to such luminaries as Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby and then use the fact that they owned their products as a form of endorsement.

[Harvey Gerst]

Raymond Victor Pepe was amazing man, and the stories don't do him justice. Johnny Edwards would be the guy to ask about Ray.

[Don McRitchie]

Yes, most of the stories I've heard came from John. BTW, I moved this thread to the General forum since it seems better placed here.

[Harvey Gerst]

That's so weird to see Johnny Edwards referred to as "John". God, I feel so old!! :(

And I'm younger than Johnny.

[GordonW]

Howdy Harvey... glad you found your way in here.

If you remember, I used to bug you about JBL stuff over on rec.audio.pro, a few years ago... back when there was very little info about such things available online, anywhere. It's amazing how much has become available in the last couple years, isn't it?

BTW: Harvey, did you get to work with Bart Locanthi? I've been reading about him a bit lately, both his work at JBL and at Pioneer/TAD...

Regards,
Gordon.

[Harvey Gerst]

Yes, I did work with Bart for many years, first when he was a working at JPL in Pasadena and consulting for JBL (this was during the Bill Burton days, before Ed May came on board), then when he went to work full time at JBL. Later, I ran into him a few times at the AES shows when he worked for TAD.

I spent many enlightening hours in his office, while he would "un-learn" me all the stuff I "thought" I knew.

[GordonW]

It's kinda funny, how the "average joe" has no idea of the stuff Bart did. For example, I'll say to someone "well, I have this pair of Pioneer HPM speakers, that really kick butt". Invariably, I'll get the "you must be crazy, Pioneer only makes cheap speakers" look... then I'll set up the pair of HPM900s on stands (usually running from the Marantz 8B tube amp), plant the skeptic in front of them, and just watch the jaws start to hit the floor.

It's amazing, how everything Mr. Locanthi did, seemed to turn to gold. And how little public recognition he seemed to get for it.

Regards,
Gordon.

[4313B]

"It's kinda funny, how the "average joe" has no idea of the stuff Bart did."

I don't think it's funny at all.