Richard O’Donnell passed away on January 15, 2015.
O’Donnell was vice president of Yamaha Corporation of America at a very historic time in the company’s growth and development during the 1970s. He worked on several projects including managing the operations for the Everett Piano Plant in Michigan, which Yamaha purchased to expand its piano manufacturing. O’Donnell later oversaw the Georgia manufacturing plants for Yamaha and witnessed first-hand the growth of the company within the American market.
O’Donnell was at the helm at the time of the release of the DX7 in the early 1980s, which was pivotal in leading Yamaha to become one of the industry’s leaders in the field of MIDI-driven gear.
Here is a clip from his 2010 NAMM Oral History interview:
