Kirby Wyatt

Showco Lighting Pioneer • Innovator • Designer

Before Showco became known for revolutionary concert lighting systems and before Vari-Lite changed the entertainment industry forever, there was Kirby Wyatt.

Joining Showco in 1972, Kirby helped lead the company's expansion beyond audio and into the world of stage lighting. At a time when concert lighting was still in its infancy, Kirby began adapting industrial equipment—including lifts, trusses, and rigging systems—to safely suspend lighting above stages, helping establish many of the practices that would become standard throughout the touring industry.

One of Kirby's most recognizable contributions to the Dallas skyline remains visible today. He designed the original lighting system for Dallas' iconic Reunion Tower, whose illuminated globe continues to be a landmark of the city, though the original system has since been replaced with modern LED technology.

Kirby's influence on Showco's lighting future extended far beyond individual projects. During the early 1970s, Showco alum Kenny Whitright found himself working alongside Kirby on international productions of Jesus Christ Superstar. After returning to Dallas, Whitright recommended Kirby to lead Showco's emerging lighting department, and many members of that touring crew would ultimately join the company.

As concert productions grew larger and more complex, Kirby constantly searched for ways to improve efficiency and reduce setup times. He developed portable cabinet-mounted air-lift lighting trees, genie-hoist systems, and follow-spot platforms that allowed touring crews to rig and strike theatrical lighting in a fraction of the time previously required. These innovations helped touring productions become faster, safer, and more practical on the road.

Kirby also recognized a challenge that would later help inspire one of the greatest innovations in entertainment technology. As British lighting companies began outperforming American competitors, Kirby observed that if there were a way to change colors on PAR cans without constantly replacing gels, Showco could gain a significant competitive advantage. That idea helped spark conversations that would eventually lead to the development of Vari-Lite and the automated lighting revolution that followed.

Though Kirby's contributions are not as widely known as some of the technologies that came after him, his vision, ingenuity, and leadership helped lay the foundation for Showco's lighting division and many of the innovations that followed.

Kirby Wyatt passed away in 1995 after a battle with AIDS.

Today, his legacy lives on in the countless touring productions, lighting systems, and industry innovations that trace their roots back to the pioneering work he helped establish during Showco's formative years.