Ken Savidge Sound Engineer
Posted on Sun, Nov. 12, 2006
Ken Savidge
Company | Savidge Sound Posted on Sun, Nov. 12, 2006
Job | Owner and sound engineer
Headquarters | Murrells Inlet
On what sound means to him | "It's like a picture. It's got different colors. Different layers."
Sound engineer makes stars sound good
By Garrison Wells
The Sun News
Q & A WITH Ken Savidge
The music you hear wafting overhead at the House of Blues in North Myrtle Beach comes to you in part from Ken Savidge.
Savidge, 53, is a sound engineer who has worked with some big-name acts and a couple of presidents.
Some big names include Billy Idol, Randy Travis, Cher, Barry Manilow, Marshall Tucker, Alabama, Jethro Tull.
He also worked with the sound systems for Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush.
Today, you can hear the owner of Savidge Sound's work at the Dean Martin Variety show and Le Grande Cirque at The Palace, where he plays the sound system like an instrument.
He also works with locals Sound Hound Limited, RMS Productions, handles sound at the Italian Festival and bike week festivals.
He's a wired kinda guy.
In addition to handling some of the wiring at HOB here, he also did the venue in Orlando, Fla.; The Palace Theater; and the Ronnie Milsap Theater.
He's also been on the road with acts while with a Los Angeles production company.
"I did all the West Coast stuff, like the Billy Idol Whiplash Smile tour in 1987," Savidge said. "I would travel with them for like two months. When they would go further east, they would hire another production company."
He came to Myrtle Beach in 1993 from Los Angeles to set up the Alabama Theater, and ended up on "Good Morning America," which came to town to film the project.
He's been here ever since.
Question | Sound engineer doesn't seem like a job one necessarily aspires too. What attracted you?
Answer | When I saw the Beatles on television it was like, whoooaa! I gotta do this. The next thing I did was ask my parents about guitar lessons. A whole new world opened up to me and what I wanted to follow. That performance on Ed Sullivan probably activated the careers of a lot of technicians like me and musicians.
Q | Since then, you've worked with a lot of bands. What was your favorite?
A | Alabama really took care of you. They cared about their crew. I enjoyed working with them because it was a close-knit family. I was with them in 1987 and 1988.
Q | What are some memories that stand out?
A | When we were in Biloxi, Miss., Billy Idol came back on for his encore and he had this habit - he tucked the mike into his pants, and when he tucked it in that particular time he turned it off and didn't know it. When he came out and he's trying to talk into the mike, it wouldn't come on. He looked over at us and just panicked. We had another wireless so I just went up and handed it to him. I gave him another mike and he said, "Check. check." Then he pointed at me and said, "I pay him big money for this."
Q | What was it like working for Billy Idol?
A | He's really a relaxed individual. Yeah, he's got the rock 'n' roll image and stuff, but during the day he's like normal. But as the sound check goes on, and as he kinda gets ready, you start seeing the upper lip, you know. He's starting to get into character, get that pump. He's gotta have that image. It's Yeah! Yeah! during the show, but during the day he's normal.
Q | What was it like working with Barry Manilow? He's like the opposite end of Billy Idol.
A | (Laughs) It was in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and Mary Hart came in to rehearse. It was in the lobby. It was a huge lobby. They had raffles to Wimbledon tennis, that kind of stuff. There was a lot of glitz.
Q | What's your fondest memory of a star.
A | It was at the Beverly Wilshire. It was an AIDS benefit. Elizabeth Taylor was there. Madonna was there. And Gregory Peck! The women came on the other side. I had to wear a tux that night. All the guys were coming on my side and I got to hand the microphone to Gregory Peck as he walked on. I was part of a three-man crew. He was one of the few people that you get that close to them, it was like - I just stood beside Gregory Peck! I get chills, goosebumps thinking about it still. He had such presence. He said thank you to me.
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Ken Savidge
Company | Savidge Sound
Job | Owner and sound engineer
Headquarters | Murrells Inlet
On what sound means to him
"It's like a picture. It's got different colors. Different layers."
Ken Savidge Sound Engineer
