Sound Productions (SoundPro), a national retailer and distributor of professional audio, video and lighting equipment, is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023. From its chance beginnings as a backline rental company to its current role as a leading supplier of AVL gear, SoundPro has consistently served their customers with stellar service and industry knowledge.
Humble Beginnings
In 1973, Charles Kitch, a guitar player and entrepreneur, was working at the Arnold & Morgan Music store when he received the unexpected call that would change the course of the next four decades. Elvis Presley’s tour manager had called the music store looking to rent backline gear for Elvis’ show in Dallas the next day. Kitch, with the assistance of a friend who had business cards and a 4-track recording studio called Sound Productions, were able to supply the gear needed for Elvis. That one gig turned into a 30-day tour with Elvis, and that tour’s promoter, called the pair back a few weeks later requesting backline rental for Chicago and Three Dog Night tours.
Within a year after touring with Elvis, Sound Productions was providing backline and tech support for some of the biggest names in rock ‘n’ roll. The customer list grew to include The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Billy Joel, David Bowie, The Kinks, Rod Stewart, Linda Ronstadt, Lynyrd Skynyrd, James Taylor and many others. SoundPro became the backline provider for most tours that were serviced by Showco, a full-service production company out of Dallas.
SoundPro then started fabricating custom electronic and speaker systems for touring bands requiring partnerships with vendors like JBL, Crown, Soundcraft, UREI and others. When bands and production companies wanted to buy the products they rented, Showco contracted SoundPro to sell off their older sound systems, and from then, the transition to pro audio sales and repair was natural. The growing company even became the exclusive dealer for Showco’s new speaker line, the SS Series. After running ads in Performance Magazine, Billboard and RE/P magazines, Kitch was selling new and used gear all around the country.
In the following decades, SoundPro’s nationwide sales of new and used gear continued to grow. By 1985, the company shifted focus to sales and distribution. In 2012, SoundPro expanded into a new location in Irving, TX. A second office in Madison, WI opened in 2020 to better serve the company’s growing customer base.
Today, SoundPro provides AVL products to diverse customer segments including businesses, bands/artists, contractors/integrators, DJs, houses of worship, live productions and more. The company’s industry-certified team members possess decades of professional and personal experience. With people at the core of its values, SoundPro cultivates a culture of accountability, a passion for the industry and an obsession with providing the very best service to its customers.
Honoring the Past, Building the Future
“We are thrilled to celebrate 50 years of serving customers in an industry that we have so much passion for,” says SoundPro CEO Joshua Curlett. “With our rich company history, we will continue to honor the past while we build a better future for our team members, our vendors, and our customers. As SoundPro continues to grow, I’m truly grateful for those who have taken part in making SoundPro what it is today, and I look forward to what we can do together in the years to come.”
SoundPro will be celebrating its 50th anniversary throughout the year. An event bringing together its team members, valued customers and vendor partners is now being planned to take place in late 2023.
For more information, visit www.soundpro.com
