By George Petersen
THIS HASN’T BEEN THE BEST WEEK. Jim Cowan, an old friend just passed away after a bout with cancer. Just 52 years young, he was a 20-year veteran of Neutrik USA (in fact, he was the company’s first employee), starting out as general manager and eventually becoming company president.
Jim was an amazing person who was loved by everyone in the audio industry and even though we lived on opposite coasts, seeing him at tradeshows was always a great experience. Even better was some years ago when we spent a week in Liechtenstein, checking out the sights, including visiting Neutrik’s plant and company HQ in this tiny European country of 62 square miles—barely larger than the 49-square mile footprint of the city of San Francisco. In those few days, I really got to know what an intelligent, creative and caring human being he was.
And anyone who ever met Jim would tell you he loved the pro audio industry. In a Mix interview, he talked about the satisfaction he felt from “meeting and having one-on-one conversations over the years with industry leaders and pioneers such as Hartley and Melia Peavey, Greg Mackie, Phil Hart, Charlie Wicks and Michael Laiacona—to name just a few. I have been fortunate to have met some of the most talented artists, engineers, installers and designers in the industry.” Jim also recalled that one of his most rewarding accomplishments was getting Neutrik’s Speakon connector accepted by manufacturers, users and installers. “It was a big challenge for Neutrik to create something totally new and to get the industry to like it, believe in it and support it,â€? he said. But Jim’s persistence and hard work paid off, with Speakon now accepted as a worldwide industry standard.
Jim was a devoted father to his sons, participating in their track and soccer programs and coaching youth basketball and Little League baseball teams. He enjoyed traveling, was a serious wine enthusiast and a proud member of the Red Sox Nation. Jim is survived by his wife Kate, sons Daniel and Gregory and his mother. As the disease that took him progressed, and he knew the end was near, he requested that friends who remembered him should donate to Ocean of Love, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children with cancer and their families. It’s no less than I would expect from a man with so much love and who was loved by so many. Farewell, friend–you will be not be forgotten.

When not working on Mix stuff, George Petersen records and performs with the SF Bay Area-based rock band ARIEL. Click here www.jenpet.com/ariel.html and check ‘em out.
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