Louis and Bebe Barron

Louis (23 April 1920, Minneapolis – 1 November 1989, Los Angeles) and Bebe Barron (16 June 1925, Minneapolis – 20 April 2008, Los Angeles) were two American pioneers in the field of electronic music. They are credited with writing the first electronic music for magnetic tape, and the first entirely electronic film score for the MGM movie Forbidden Planet (1956). As a young man, Louis had an affinity for working with a soldering gun and electrical... more

Louis (23 April 1920, Minneapolis – 1 November 1989, Los Angeles) and Bebe Barron (16 June 1925, Minneapolis – 20 April 2008, Los Angeles) were two American pioneers in the field of electronic music. They are credited with writing the first electronic music for magnetic tape, and the first entirely electronic film score for the MGM movie Forbidden Planet (1956). As a young man, Louis had an affinity for working with a soldering gun and electrical gear. He studied music at the University of Chicago. Bebe, born Charlotte May Wind on 16 June 1925 in Minneapolis, studied music with Wallingford Riegger and Henry Cowell. The couple married in 1947 and moved to New York City. Louis' cousin, who was an executive at the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company (3M), gave the newlyweds their first tape recorder as a wedding gift. Using their newly acquired equipment, the couple delved into the study of musique concrète. The first electronic music for magnetic tape composed in America was... less