Don Lewis grew up in Dayton, Ohio, in the 1940s and 50s. Lewis has stated that his interest in music began as a child after watching an organist perform at his church. Lewis later majored in Electronics Engineering at the former Tuskegee Institute. While there, he also sang with the Tuskegee Chorus and played music at rallies led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1961, Lewis enlisted in the US Air Force as a nuclear weapons specialist and later stationed for four years in Roswell, New Mexico. After his time in the Air Force, Lewis relocated to Denver, Colorado, where he worked as an engineering technician, choir director, and nightclub musician. While there, he was commissioned to write three symphonic works by the Denver Symphony Orchestra. Lewis later resigned his job as an engineering technician in Denver to become a full-time musician. He later studied singing with legendary vocal coach Judy Davis.
Career
After moving to Los Angeles, Lewis has worked with a number of celebrity musicians and producers, including Quincy Jones, Sergio Mendez, and Michael Jackson. He also opened for the Beach Boys during their 1974 tour. Lewis performed at the 1975 and 1976 Newport Jazz Festival at Carnegie Hall. Later he moved to San Francisco and performed there in the late 70's and early 80's. He scored for shows such as Rainbows End and Were You There for PBS, among others. Lewis has taught at UC Berkeley Extension and been a guest lecturer at Stanford University and San Jose State University. He also started two programs to encourage kids' interest in music and the arts: Young Expressions, a mentorship program for student artists around Pleasanton, California, and Say "Yes" to Music!, wherein Lewis performs at school assemblies.
LEO and Roland TR-808
Lewis is most famous for having created an early integrated sound controller for analog synthesizers, which he named Live Electronic Orchestra, 10 years prior to MIDI. Lewis designed LEO in 1974 and completed it in 1977 by linking various synthesizers to work together in live performance, limited at the time to mostly studio production. As of 2018, LEO is housed in NAMM's Museum of Making Music located in Carlsbad, California. The various instruments of LEO include
For over 10 years, Lewis collaborated with Ikutaro Kakehashi on rhythm units including the FR-7L, CR-68, CR-78 and the Roland TR-808, a drum machine that allowed musicians to program and create their own drum beats. He also contributed to the rise in popularity of other synthesizers such as the Yamaha DX7. In the 1980s, the American Federation of Musicians claimed that Lewis's use of technology was a threat to musicians and some of its members began protesting his performances as a result.
Documentary
Lewis has been interviewed extensively for a documentary released February 1, 2020 available on cable networks movies ON DEMAND about his life and career, The Ballad of Don Lewis: The Untold Story of a Synthesizer Pioneer..
Personal life
Lewis has resided in Pleasanton, California, for 35 years. He lives with his wife, Julie. He has five adult children.
Awards
In 2016, Lewis won the 2016 Alameda County Arts Leadership award. He also won the 2016 Tri-Valley Heroes Arts and Culture award.
