Marking 60 years in pro audio in 2026, live event production services, integrated permanent solutions and pro audio product manufacturing specialist Clair Global has been actively preserving the history of its people, projects and products for the past three years. To commemorate this milestone, the Clair Global Archives website has launched to offer insights into the company’s beginnings and significant transformation.
‘On the surface, 60 years doesn’t sound like a long time, but just think about the advances in sound reinforcement from The Beatles’ Shea Stadium concert in 1965 to Live Aid in 1985,’ says Clair Global Archivist, Joe Stolarick. ‘That’s massive progress packed into just 20 years.’
As an Archivist, Stolarick can be found cataloging materials, conducting interviews, giving tours around the premises, or researching and distilling sharable information. His current large-scale project is converting a wing of Clair’s former headquarters into the Archives’ physical repository, alongside the new website. ‘We have over 8,000sq-ft across two levels that will house offices, displays, a small library, a meeting room, and a processing/storage area,’ he says. ‘This is long-term work; the goal is for this history to endure in perpetuity.
‘I’m incredibly fortunate to represent one of the most trusted companies in the business,’ he continues. ‘We also don’t want to lose the early achievements of companies that are now part of the Clair Global group, such as Showco, dB Sound, MD Systems, and Concert Sound. When you peel back the layers, you discover there was an immense amount of respect among these companies, even while in direct competition.’
Archivists typically preserve primary sources – unique, original materials, that help to tell a story. ‘Archives exist to be used, so when acquiring outside materials, we prioritise those without restrictions. It is also important to ensure we’re willing to dedicate the space and resources needed to properly care for historical materials, hence the new physical space.’
Appropriate preservation is crucial: ‘Some materials, particularly textiles and film, require special handling to ensure that they are not compromised. A core function of archival work is preservation. Embedding the programme ensures that this history will endure. I credit the Clair family, especially Katy Clair, with recognizing this and having the vision to integrate the Archives into the company, securing its care and accessibility for the future.
‘My goal has been to build something sustainable that can be passed down to future generations. We have everything from equipment and business papers to engineering drawings and tour swag, from Gene Clair’s grade school report cards to 12AM horn prototypes, not to mention entire S-4 and Showco PRISM systems – with rigging. Then, there’s digital materials, which is a whole other complex challenge.
‘Fortunately, a lot of this equipment was built to be durable,’ he says of the large, single-box loudspeaker system originally launched in 1974.
While the physical space housing these items is underway, for now, the Clair story so far can be found online. ‘I draw from both facts and inspiration. At the end of the day, this is really a story about hardworking people who are incredibly proud of what they’ve accomplished,’ Stolarick concludes. ‘Sure, there are plenty of colorful stories from the shop and the road, but, as with anything in this industry, what ultimately matters most, is the preservation of relationships.’