Tom Walsh

Showco R&D • Vari-Lite Digital Electronics and Control Hardware

Tom Walsh was part of the Showco research and development team that created the original Vari-Lite system. His contribution centered on the digital electronics and control hardware that connected the new automated fixtures to their computer-based control system.

Engineering a new kind of control

The early Vari-Lite project depended on several distinct technical disciplines. Jim Bornhorst led the optical and mechanical concept; John Covington handled analog engineering; Tom Walsh developed the digital electronics and control hardware; and Brooks Taylor contributed systems and software engineering and console integration. Together, the team transformed an ambitious idea into equipment that could survive rehearsals, touring, and live performance.

The system moved from Showco’s Dallas R&D shop into Genesis rehearsals and then onto the 1981 Abacab tour, helping establish a new era of computer-controlled concert lighting.

Add to the Story

Did you work with Tom or the early Vari-Lite team? Share a memory, photograph, document, or correction to help preserve this chapter of Showco history.