Bob Crump passes away over holiday.

Very sad to hear. Bob was allways so helpful. A true great. He will be missed. RIP Bob

Bob was a generous and helpful audio friend, always ready with good advice and good cheer.

There was the CES I functioned as Bob's "fashion director", sending him a black derby that was...er...large enough to actually fit his head. He'd offered to trade me a TGA SLVR pc for the derby, which was much too generous on his part.

When I opened the box he eventually sent me, not only was the SLVR in there, he'd also included additional assorted goodies -which included 3 Acme outlets.

Checking my e-mail files, I see I have several years of hilarious correspondence from Bob regarding the state of the world, the state of audio, music, cats, favorite food and silly pictures. I still have a message on my recorder, with Bob's gruff voice saying: "Wait to buy a new CD player, Harmonia (my AA nic). Go sell another couple half a million dollar houses and get the new one we're cooking up." Sigh.

Bob met the world on his own terms, with great good humour and zest for living. He definitley did things "his way". It's hard to believe he's gone. The world seems a little smaller somehow without him in it.

What a great post Rackon. Thanks for sharing that side of Bob Crump.

I also appreciate the words of Fred Crowder, a long time friend who spent a long time with me on the phone yesterday morning discussing this. I was not nearly as close to Bob as Fred Crowder but greatly saddened by his early passing.

>>>"Why bring any of this up now? I guess because I miss Bob and wish that he were still around and know that this tragedy could have been prevented.<<<

That is doubtful. Once we (all of us) pass 40 our habits and routines are hard to break. Habit starts to dictate lifestyle, especially for those of us that include nicotine or alcohol, or even an endorphin releasing habit such as music, into our lives.

Bob lived his life the way he chose and enjoyed every minute-- from what I understand. I think a celebration of Bob's passion and shared experience is in order. He brought so much shared experience and selfless energy to the job that he earned an entire category of fans-- like no other.

This tragedy gives us perspective into what is truly important in all our lives. I celebrate Bob's passion for music and design. I KNOW Bob planted the seed of high-fidelity with so many people that his legacy will endure. If any of us could leave such a legacy with family and friends, we could only hope to be as impactful as Bob Crump.

Let's take the torch and try to pass Bob's passion for high-fidelity on to another. That would truly, do Bob's memory and life's passion justice!

Respectfully,

Grant

Thanks for posting the details Fred. It really helps to have some sense of his struggles and choices, and certainly gives we who only knew him via phone or email a bigger picture of the man and his life.

I asked on AA, buit didnt get an answer.... How old was he? I was never sure from his voice, and hadn't spoken to him a many years.

I believe I have a tech lab volume control for a Spectral pre he build for you Fred. It was an amazing upgrade at the time from stock, and both the pre and the volume pot, plus a DC umbilical he made for me will be up for sale soon. He left quite an impression on me as a young audiophile back around 1990. And his cords and volume control made that spectral gear sound wonderful, just when i was getting ready to sell it as being threadbare, he came up with a solution.