Don Lewis Obituary

Don Lewis was a pioneering electronic music composer and musician.

Over a 54-year music career, Lewis designed sounds and instrument voices for Hammond, Roland, Yamaha and ARP, and developed a unique live rig that was years ahead of time.

In the mid-1970s, he developed the “Live Electronic Orchestra, a custom rig he used to control multiple synthesizers and sound modules with custom designed keyboard nearly a decade before the introduction of MIDI in 1983.

Throughout his career, Lewis gave performances at the Sydney Opera Home, Carnegie Hall, and the Apollo Theatre and collaborated with the likes of Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, and the Beach Boys.

In 1987, he created the education-focused “Say Yes to Music!” concert tours, produced by his wife Julie.