LONG LIVE ROCK! JBL TO SPONSOR LEGENDARY ROCK GROUP THE WHO ON UPCOMING U.S. CONCERT TOUR


WOODBURY, NY and NORTHRIDGE, CA - JBL, the leader in professional, home and automotive sound, today announced it is the official tour sponsor of the upcoming U.S. summer tour of The Who, one of the most influential bands in rock-music history.

Members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and creators of the first rock opera, Tommy, The Who has electrified listeners since the sixties' pop music "British Invasion." The Who has left an indelible mark on the music world with its thrilling recordings and live performances, including a recent appearance at The Concert for New York City benefiting the heroes of last September 11th

As the official sponsor of The Who's upcoming 20-date nationwide tour, JBL will support the tour with one of the largest sponsorship programs in the history of the company. The program will include extensive national and local media advertising, including TV, radio and print, along with sweepstakes and local market promotional activities with local radio, television and print media tie-ins.

Sound services for the tour will be provided by Clair Bros. Audio (Lititz, PA), one of the world's leading rental-system providers. Clair Bros., who has relied on JBL loudspeakers for more than 30 years, will supply The Who with a concert audio system having in excess of 120,000 watts of amplifier power. The custom systems used by Clair Bros. feature JBL drivers and components, chosen by the company for their sonic performance, high-power-handling capability and long-term reliability.

The Who tour begins June 28th in Las Vegas at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, includes a four-night stand at New York's Madison Square Garden and is scheduled to conclude August 31st at the Jones Beach Amphitheatre on Long Island, New York. Rock icon Robert Plant, formerly of Led Zeppelin, will open many of the East Coast shows, while Counting Crows will support several of The Who's West Coast shows.

Paul Bente, President, JBL Consumer Products, noted: "JBL could not be more proud and excited to be the sponsor of the upcoming Who tour. The Who and JBL are an ideal combination; The Who is one of the legendary bands of rock and roll - and JBL loudspeakers are legendary for their exceptional sound quality in the concert hall and at home. In fact, The Who and JBL were there at the original Woodstock in 1969 - and today, The Who and JBL are rocking the world more than ever!"

Michael MacDonald, President, JBL Professional, added, "The Who will truly be heard at its best, thanks to Clair Bros.' state-of-the-art concert sound system, which utilizes JBL's latest and most advanced drivers, components and technologies to deliver remarkably clear, powerful and articulate sound quality, even at rock-concert levels."

Bill Curbishley, The Who's longtime manager said: "We are extremely pleased that JBL is sponsoring The Who tour this summer. It's the perfect partnership - JBL, the world's most respected name in concert and recording studio sound, supporting the incredible power and energy of The Who in live performance. Thanks to JBL's marketing and promotion efforts and the unsurpassed sonic impact of JBL live-sound reinforcement, show-goers will experience the most exciting Who concert tour ever this summer."

The dates and locations for The Who's U.S. summer tour are as follows (subject to change):

Las Vegas, NV The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino June 28
Irvine, CA Verizon Wireless Amphitheater June 29
Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl July 1
Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre July 3
Marysville, CA Autowest Amphitheatre July 4
George, WA Gorge Amphitheatre July 6
Mansfield, MA Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts July 26
Camden, NJ Tweeter Center at the Waterfront July 27
Hershey, PA Hershey Park Stadium July 29
New York, NY Madison Square Garden July 31
New York, NY Madison Square Garden August 1
New York, NY Madison Square Garden August 3
New York, NY Madison Square Garden August 4
Auburn Hills, MI Palace of Auburn Hills August 23
Tinley Park, IL Tweeter Center August 24
Noblesville, IN Verizon Wireless Music Center August 25
Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena August 27
Columbus, OH Polaris Amphitheater August 28
Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center August 30
Wantagh, NY Jones Beach Amphitheatre August 31

The Harman Consumer Systems Group (HCSG) is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of a wide range of high-fidelity loudspeakers, audio and video components and multimedia systems for use in homes and automobiles, and with computers. The Group's brands include JBL, Infinity, Harman Kardon, Mark Levinson, Revel, Proceed, Madrigal Imaging, Audioaccess and Lexicon.

HCSG is a division of Harman International Industries, Inc. Harman International (www.harman.com) is a leading manufacturer of high-quality, high-fidelity audio and video products for the consumer and professional markets. The Company's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "HAR."

Headquartered in Northridge, California, JBL Professional is the world's leading designer, manufacturer, and marketer of professional loudspeakers for recording and broadcast, musician, cinema, touring sound, commercial sound and contracting applications. JBL Professional is part of the Harman International network of professional and consumer audio companies. For complete product and company information, go to the JBL Pro website at www.jblpro.com.


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