Madison has lost another music industry legend.
On June 27, Jack LeTourneau, a Grammy-nominated producer who got his start as a sound engineer and musician here during the 1980s and ‘90s, died of causes related to throat cancer at age 65.
The beloved soundman mixed live sound for years at iconic venues such as Bunky’s, Merlins and Headliners. He was also a regular fixture at Smart Studios, where grunge icons, including Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins, honed their sounds. He later moved to Paragon Studios in Chicago, but remained close with many on the Madison scene.
Butch Vig, co-founder of Smart Studios and guitarist for Garbage, responded to the news in an email:
“Jack was one of the good guys. He was always ready to help a band at a moment’s notice, and he consistently raised the bar for all of us. In the afterlife, the house band just got a little bit louder, and a whole lot sweeter sounding. Rock In Peace, Jack!”
Vig helped organize a benefit to help pay LeTourneau’s medical expenses in May. The High Noon show was a who’s-who of rockers with Madison ties, with sets from pat mAcdonald and Wally Ingram (both formerly of Timbuk3), Freedy Johnston and two Vig-related bands, the Know-It-All Boyfriends and a reunion of Spooner.
LeTourneau’s obituary lists a vast array of artists he mixed or produced, including a collaboration with Laurie Anderson for Chicago’s Adler Planetarium.