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Q&A: What’s happened to Joe Walsh Tours, and how do I get my money back?

One of ireland’s best-known travel companies has gone out of business. here’s where to go.

Joe Walsh Tours: the Irish travel agent and tour operator has ceased trading with immediate effect. Photograph: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Ah, don’t tell me JWT is gone

Afraid so. Joe Walsh Tours, one of Ireland's oldest and best-known travel companies, has gone out of business.

What exactly did JWT do again?

It was a pioneer of the Irish travel trade, for starters. Set up in 1961 by Joe Walsh, it was one of the first companies to offer package holidays from Ireland to sun destinations, most notably Sitges, just south of Barcelona, and Benidorm, farther south again. It also offered trips to Lourdes and other pilgrimage locations, and arranged trips to high-profile sports events, as well as school tours. Before the pandemic it employed more than 100 people in offices in Ireland, the UK, Europe and the United States.

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Why is it closing?

The company has become just another victim of the coronavirus crisis. As with most travel agents and tour operators, it saw its business all but vanish in 2020. In a statement, Joe Walsh Pilgrimtours said it had not traded since early last year, although it had stayed open to process refunds and rebookings.

“Joe Walsh Pilgrimtours Ltd did everything they could to see themselves and their customers through the pandemic,” it said, adding that “travel protocols in Ireland are the most restrictive in Europe, putting Irish travel companies at a disadvantage to their European counterparts”.

What does the closure mean for people who had booked packages with it?

In a normal year a travel agent going out of business at this time of year would be a disaster, with some people getting ready to travel and others stranded overseas. But this is a year like no other in recent times.

What do you mean ?

JWT almost certainly has no customers overseas right now, for a start. And it is unlikely to have taken many new bookings over the past 12 months. But some holidays and pilgrimages booked in prepandemic times will have rolled over into 2021 or even later; other customers will have taken credit notes in lieu of refunds due for cancelled holidays.

What is going to happen to them?

The good news is that people who have outstanding bookings with the tour operator will be protected. The Commission for Aviation Regulation says that if you are left out of pocket you may be covered by its consumer-protection scheme. The commission also operates a refund credit note scheme that is likely to cover people who are still waiting for refunds for holidays cancelled because of Covid-19. You must claim within 60 days of the collapse of the business. JWT has set up a helpline for claim-related queries. It's at 01-2410800 between 9am and 1pm, and 2pm and 5.30pm, Monday to Friday.

Where do I stand if I made a group booking?

If you have a booking as part of a group and paid JWT directly, you can submit a claim to the commission. But if you paid your group organiser, that organiser must submit a claim to the commission on behalf of the entire group.

What have people been saying?

The Irish Travel Agents Association expressed its regret.

"It is a sad day for the travel industry as this long-established agent closes its doors," the association's chief executive, Pat Dawson, said. He added that "travel agents throughout the country learned their trade with JWT before opening their own agencies".

Conor Pope is Consumer Affairs Correspondent, Pricewatch Editor and cohost of the In the News podcast

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Home / Press Releases / Joe Walsh Pilgrimtours Ltd. / Joe Walsh Tours launches Pilgrimage Programme 2022

Joe Walsh Tours launches Pilgrimage Programme 2022

Pilgrim specialist Joe Walsh Tours has launched its pilgrimage programme for 2022, featuring regular departures to classic pilgrimage shrines and important religious destinations such as Lourdes in France, Fatima in Portugal, Italy and the Holy Land, as well as Medjugorje in Bosnia & Herzegovina, and fully escorted walking tours on the Camino de Santiago.

Early Booking offer

€50 off for bookings paid in full until 31 st of January 2022 on Medjugorje, Fatima, and Holy Land pilgrimages.

Top Pilgrimage Destinations

Lourdes, 4 nights from €569 per person sharing.

Surrounded by beautiful landscapes at the foothills of the Pyrenees, Lourdes Shrine in the South of France welcomes five million people each year.

Celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in December, the Feast of Lourdes in February, and Easter in Lourdes with Joe Walsh Tours, offering pilgrimage trips to the shrine across these special dates.

Your trip with Joe Walsh Tours includes a detailed religious programme led by a Spiritual Director, and accommodation in some of the best hotels in Lourdes, adapted to host people with reduced mobility.

More details: https://joewalshtours.ie/pilgrimages/pilgrimage-destinations/lourdes/

Fatima, 7 nights from €699 per person sharing 

Fatima, Portugal, is known as the ‘city of peace’, and pilgrimages have been taking place here since 1917, when Our Lady appeared to three local shepherd children.

Joe Walsh Tours has regular departures to Fatima from May to October, with detailed programmes led by their local experts.

More details: https://joewalshtours.ie/pilgrimages/pilgrimage-destinations/fatima/

Medjugorje, 7 nights from €699 per person sharing

Pilgrims travelling to Medjugorje with Joe Walsh Tours can choose from short breaks to week-long pilgrimages, all of them including a detailed religious programme coordinated by our dedicated and experienced team in Bosnia, led by Philip Ryan, expert on the sanctuary and the region.

Weekly departures from April to October.

More details: https://joewalshtours.ie/pilgrimages/pilgrimage-destinations/medjugorje/

Italy, from €669 per person sharing

Joe Walsh Tours’ pilgrimage trips to Italy take you to the most important religious shrines and sacred sites in this beautiful country and cradle of the Catholic faith, including Rome and the Vatican, spectacular Assisi the home of St Francis and Padre Pio’s San Giovanni Rotondo and Pietrelcina.

At Joe Walsh Tours we have a selection of pilgrimage to Italy in 2022 with more dates being added soon.

More details: https://joewalshtours.ie/pilgrimages/pilgrimage-destinations/italy/

Camino de Santiago Escorted Guided Tours, from €895 per person sharing

Joe Walsh Tours has a selection of Camino de Santiago tours for pilgrims looking to walk these ancient spiritual trails. Camino guided tours are ideal for pilgrims and walkers looking for a group to be part of and share this very special journey with.

With 2022 being a Xacobeo Holy Year, there is no better time to get to the Camino de Santiago.

Departures from April to October, including July to celebrate Saint James Day and an ‘easy’ Camino de Santiago Walk and Coach tour in August with Joe Walsh Tours.

More details: https://joewalshtours.ie/pilgrimages/special-pilgrim-tours/camino-de-santiago-pilgrimage/

Holy Land, from €1,765 per person sharing

Pilgrimage to the Holy Land is a once in a lifetime experience and very special spiritual journey to the oldest and most important pilgrimage destination in the world: Jerusalem and the Holy Land.

On our pilgrimage tours to the Holy Land you will visit important biblical places such as Bethlehem, the church of the Nativity and the Mount of Olives; take a boat across the Sea of Galilee and renew your baptismal vows in the Jordan River.

More details: https://joewalshtours.ie/pilgrimages/pilgrimage-destinations/holyland/

Additional dates and destinations will be announced in the coming weeks. Further information and all departures can be found at  www.joewalshtours.ie   

IMAGES: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/v36fmiukv17hkq2/AAC4OQsWQ-KKbOeL12TmwfY5a?dl=0

For more information on Joe Walsh Tours please contact Ali Finnegan [email protected]

About Joe Walsh Tours

At Joe Walsh Tours we specialise in classic pilgrimages and pilgrim tours to the most important sacred sites, holy shrines and spiritual destinations in Europe and the world.

Our knowledgeable team of travel experts has decades of experience organising tours and welcoming pilgrims to historic destinations such as the Holy Land, Rome and Santiago de Compostela; as well as the Marian shrines of Lourdes, Fatima and Medjugorje.

Connect with us

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Tours to the Holy Land

At Joe Walsh Tours we are delighted to offer a selection of pilgrimages as well as wonderful once-in-a-lifetime cultural tours to the Holy Land.

PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND 

Since the 4th century, Christians have been travelling on pilgrimage to the Holy Land as a special way to come closer to God, visiting the sites connected to the life, birth and crucifixion of Jesus.

Pilgrimage to the Holy Land is a once in a lifetime experience and very special spiritual journey to the oldest and most important pilgrimage destination in the world: Jerusalem and the Holy Land.

As you travel across this sacred land and follow in the footsteps of Jesus and his disciples, this memorable journey brings the scriptures to life.

On our pilgrimage tours to the Holy Land you will visit important biblical places such as Bethlehem, the church of the Nativity and the Mount of Olives; take a boat across the Sea of Galilee and renew your baptismal vows in the Jordan River.

CULTURAL TOURS TO THE HOLY LAND

Jerusalem and the Holy Land, the region between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, has been considered sacred by Christians but also by pilgrims of other faiths such as Jews and Muslims for many centuries. It is also an area of spectacular archaeological sites and incredible heritage.

As well as visiting important sites of devotion for different faiths, on our cultural tours to the Holy Land you will also get to experience the vibrant city life of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem’s wonderful UNESCO listed Old Town; the relaxing calm of the Dead Sea and the beauty of the Jordan River valley.

On our escorted pilgrimage and cultural tours to the Holy Land, you will join a group of pilgrims and travellers led by our knowledgeable local tour guide. If you’d like to organise a private group, talk to our travel experts and we will be happy to help you plan a memorable trip.

The experienced Joe Walsh Tours travel team will look after all the details so you can relax and enjoy this trip of a lifetime.

THINGS TO SEE IN THE HOLY LAND

There is a lot to do, see and experience on a pilgrimage or cultural tours to the Holy Land, these are some of our team’s favourites:

• Wander the streets of UNESCO-listed Jerusalem’s Old Town
• Go for a dip, or a float, in the therapeutic waters of the Dead Sea
• Learn about the history of this part of the world, a mosaic of cultures and spirituality
• Visit iconic biblical places such as Bethlehem and the church of the Nativity
• Discover the flavours of the region’s delicious traditional cuisine

Read our team’s latest articles, advice and travel tips on our PILGRIMAGES TRAVEL BLOG .

TOURS TO THE HOLY LAND

Our tours to the holy land include:.

• Return flights to and back from Tel Aviv
• Luxury coach for all transfers and tours
• English speaking guide assistance
• Hotel accommodation for 4 nights in Jerusalem and 4 nights in Tiberias
• Breakfast and dinner each day
• Detailed programme of sightseeing, visits and guided tours
• Assistance from our local guides and representatives

From flights, transport and exquisite hotel accommodation to guided visits and wonderful tours, our travel experts will look after all the details for the group.

Let us organise all the logistics so you can relax and enjoy this trip of a lifetime, a journey of discovery, culture and faith.

If you are looking to organise a private group, our travel experts can help you organise and plan a tailor made tour to the Holy Land to suit your group’s requirements and needs.

Contact the Joe Walsh Tours Pilgrimages team today.

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What happens in Rome during Jubilee Year?

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Special Places: Santiago de Compostela Cathedral

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All Pilgrimage Tours

Find here all our upcoming pilgrimage tours to the most important destinations for pilgrims in Europe and the world.

We have regular departures to the Marian shrines of Lourdes, Fatima and Medjugorje; as well as escorted tours to the Holy Land, Italy, the Camino de Santiago and special pilgrim tours to Great Pilgrimages of Europe.

For those looking to combine spirituality and relaxation, our Pilgrimage and Coast tours are ideal, so you can spend a few days by the seaside after your pilgrimage.

See all our pilgrimage tours and pilgrimage destinations below and contact our knowledgeable team if you require additional information.

Tours & Departures

Medjugorje Pilgrimage

• 30 April 2024

Pilgrimage to Padua and Assisi

Feast of Our Lady of Fatima

• 14 May 2024

Fatima Pilgrimage

• 16 May 2024

Pilgrimage to Rome

• 20 May 2024
• 21 May 2024
• 23 May 2024

Society of Our Lady of Lourdes Pilgrimage 2024

• 24 May 2024

71st Middlesbrough Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes

• 26 May 2024
• Teesside International Airport
• 28 May 2024
• 30 May 2024
• 4 June 2024
• 11 June 2024
• 13 June 2024
• 18 June 2024

Fatima and Lisbon Coast from Edinburgh

• 20 June 2024

Fatima and Lisbon Coast from Manchester

Fatima and lisbon coast from gatwick.

Lourdes Pilgrimage from London Stansted

• 22 June 2024

Pilgrimage to Poland | Krakow

• 24 June 2024
• 25 June 2024

Diocese of Hallam Lourdes Pilgrimage 2024

• 28 June 2024
• 2 July 2024
• 4 July 2024
• 9 July 2024

Glasgow Archdiocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes

• 12 July 2024

Dunkeld Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes 2024

• 16 July 2024
• 18 July 2024

Liverpool Archdiocesan Lourdes Pilgrimage 2024

• 19 July 2024

Diocese of Lancaster Pilgrimage 2024 YOUTH SECTION

• 22 July 2024

Portsmouth Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes 2024

• 23 July 2024

Diocese of Lancaster Lourdes Pilgrimage 2024

Wrexham diocesan pilgrimage to lourdes 2024.

• 25 July 2024

Diocese of Salford Lourdes Pilgrimage 2024

• 26 July 2024

Diocese of Plymouth Lourdes Pilgrimage 2024

• 30 July 2024
• 1 August 2024

• 6 August 2024
• 13 August 2024
• 15 August 2024
• 20 August 2024
• 22 August 2024
• 27 August 2024
• 29 August 2024
• 3 September 2024
• 5 September 2024
• 10 September 2024
• 12 September 2024

Oblates of Mary Immaculate Pilgrimage to Lourdes from Edinburgh

• 15 September 2024

Oblates of Mary Immaculate Pilgrimage to Lourdes from London

Oblates of mary immaculate pilgrimage to lourdes from manchester.

• 17 September 2024

Fatima Pilgrimage from Edinburgh

• 19 September 2024

Fatima Pilgrimage from Manchester

Fatima pilgrimage from gatwick.

• 24 September 2024
• 26 September 2024
• 1 October 2024
• 3 October 2024
• 8 October 2024
• 10 October 2024
• 15 October 2024
• 22 October 2024

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Camino Guided Tours 2024

Our week-long fully escorted Camino guided tours take pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela, walking approximately 100kms of the two most famous routes so you can receive your own ‘Compostela’: the Camino Frances trail from Sarria or the Camino Portugues from the coastal city of Vigo, in Galicia.

In addition, we also have great options for beginners: a new Easy Walk Camino Guided tour and two classic Camino de Santiago Coach and Walking tours from Bilbao and Lisbon, combining sightseeing with short walking stages each day.

Thousands of pilgrims from all over the world have made their way to Santiago de Compostela since the Middle Ages, walking the centuries-old Camino de Santiago paths. The historic Camino de Santiago pilgrimage is truly memorable and an experience of a lifetime: where you will discover stunning scenery, historic towns, quaint little villages and a unique sense of camaraderie you won’t find anywhere else.

If you have always dreamt of walking to Santiago de Compostela but you didn’t want to do it alone or prefer the support of a group, our Camino guided tours are perfect for you. Check out our departure dates for 2024.

Tours & Departures

Coastal Camino Portugues | Last 100km Guided Tour

• 19 May 2024

Camino Frances Easy Walk | Last 100km

• 7 June 2024

• 23 June 2024

Camino Coach & Walking Tour

• 1 September 2024

Camino Frances | Last 100km Guided tour

• 8 September 2024

• 22 September 2024

The Down Syndrome Centre Camino 2024

• 29 September 2024

Camino Portugues Coach & Walking Tour

• 6 October 2024

• 13 October 2024
• 18 October 2024

Suggested Tours

JWT Travel Gift Vouchers

Travel tips.

The Camino de Santiago is a unique UNESCO World Heritage Site and over 300,000 pilgrims from all over the world make their journey to Santiago each year, where they receive their ‘Compostela’ pilgrim certificate.

• Discover the spirit of the Camino and make life-long friends
• Walk ancient paths
• Admire beautiful architecture in cities and towns along the way
• Taste delicious gastronomy
• Get your Compostela pilgrim certificate in Santiago de Compostela

Find more details about our Camino guided tours, the Camino de Santiago routes, travel tips and advice on our TRAVEL BLOG .

JOIN OUR GUIDED TOURS

Expert local guides.

Our Camino guided tours are led by expert local English-speaking guides with many years of experience and extensive knowledge about the region, local culture and the history of the Camino de Santiago.

WE LOOK AFTER ALL THE DETAILS

From transport to accommodation in lovely hotels and pilgrim passports, all the logistics are managed by the expert travel team at JWT so you can just simply pack your bags and enjoy this enriching experience.

FLIGHTS AND TRANSPORT

We have regular departures including flights from Dublin, Ireland, and the UK, but if you are travelling from the USA, Asia or any other country, our travel experts can organise flights to join the group in Santiago.

Fill in this form to let us know the Camino you have in mind and request a call back or an email with travel suggestions. Sign up to the JWT newsletter to be the first one to receive tips, special offers and information about new tours by email.

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Put-in tours

Original tour agency in moscow and st petersburg..

Onboard a Soviet van!

Welcome to Russia!

We are Sergey and Simon, a Russian and a Frenchman, both  passionate about Moscow, Saint-Petersburg and classic cars. Together, we have created Put-in tours. Our goal is to help you experience Russian culture off the beaten path. Join us onboard our classic Soviet van and let’s get rolling!

In Moscow we offer you a city tour to discover most of the city in an original way as well as a night tour to admire the lights. Our pubcrawl is ideal to explore Moscow’s night-life and have fun. If you are craving to discover Russian culture, come impress your senses during our monastery diner or join our 100% Russian Banya Excursion . The latest will also bring you to Sergiyev Posad and it’s famous monastery!

For the most extreme travellers, our shooting tour will deliver your daily dose of adrenaline whereas our tank excursion will let you ride a real tank and shoot a bazooka.

We also offer help to receive your visa , safe and multilingual airport transfers , as well as organisation services for team-building events or bachelor parties .

All our excursions (but the monastery diner) happen onboard our Soviet military vans and can be covered by our  professionnal photographer or videographer.

In Saint Petersburg

We welcome you in Saint Petersburg onboard our Soviet van to discover the imperial city with our city tour and night tour .

Continue your discovery in style! The adrenaline lovers will like our shooting tour  which brings 3 Russian weapons to the tip of your trigger finger.

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At Put-in tours, we put you in our classic Soviet vans to go explore Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Russian culture off the beaten path. Discover our Moscow city guided tour, visit Moscow by night, join our banya & Sergiyev Posad excursion, visit and dine in one of Moscow's oldest monastery or even Luzhniki stadium, before you party on our famous pubcrawl! Original and atypical tours : Shoot AK47 and a bazooka after riding on a tank with our tank & bazooka excursion ! Extreme tours: Fly a fighter jet in Moscow onboard a L-29 or L-39 aircraft!

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Bob Heil, Whose Innovations Enhanced the Sound of Rock, Dies at 83

A groundbreaking audio engineer, he provided the large-scale systems that brought tours by the Who and the Grateful Dead to life.

By Alex Williams

Bob Heil’s career as a groundbreaking sound engineer who brought thunder and rich sonic coloring to tours by rock titans like the Grateful Dead and the Who began behind a pipe organ in a 1920s movie palace.

Mr. Heil, who helped usher rock into its arena-shaking era by designing elaborate sound systems that allowed rock juggernauts of the late 1960s and ’70s to play at volcanic volumes, first learned to appreciate the full spectrum of musical tones as a teenager, when he took a job playing the massive Wurlitzer pipe organ at the opulent Fox Theater in St. Louis.

“We had to voice and tune 3,500 pipes, from one inch to 32 feet,” he said in a 2022 video interview with the audio entrepreneur Ken Berger. “Voicing taught me to listen. Very few people know how to listen. Listening, you’ve got to mentally go in and dissect.”

Mr. Heil died on Feb. 28 of cancer in a hospital in Belleville, Ill., his daughter Julie Staley said. He was 83. His death was not widely reported at the time.

Although he worked behind the scenes, Mr. Heil was enough of a force that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland credited him with “ creating the template for modern rock sound systems” In 2006, the Hall installed a public display containing his mixing boards, speakers and other items.

“The concert business became what it is today because he made the experience so much better for the customers,” Howard Kramer, who at the time was the Hall of Fame’s curatorial director, said in an interview that year with The Houston Chronicle. “No one made the leaps in live sound that he did.”

Mr. Heil got started in the business in 1966. Up to that point, top rock ’n’ roll bands often had to rely on feeble sound systems that were drowned out by screaming fans. That roar, Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones wrote in his 2010 autobiography, “Life,” was often so deafening in the band’s early days that audiences could hear nothing more than the drums: “We used to play ‘Popeye the Sailor Man’ some nights, and the audience didn’t know any different.”

Mr. Heil gave rock shows the sound arsenal they needed. “We were the first company back then to build a package P.A .,” he said in a 2008 interview with the audio magazine TapeOp. “You could come to Heil Sound in 1972 and leave the facility with a complete system: snakes, road cases, everything — even a modular mixer.”

He also put a distinctive stamp on 1970s rock with the Heil Talk Box, an effects pedal that transformed guitar parts and vocals into an interstellar drone. Joe Walsh used it in memorable fashion on his hit “Rocky Mountain Way” in 1973, and the Talk Box was a signature of Peter Frampton’s monster-selling 1976 double album, “Frampton Comes Alive!”

Mr. Heil’s career took a major turn in 1971, he told Mr. Berger, when a manager for the Who frantically called him in St. Louis, asking if he could get his crew to Boston the next day. The opening show there, part of the band’s tour in support of its hallowed album “Who’s Next,” had been a disaster, with one newspaper noting that the band’s “soaring brand of rock could not be heard” under the venue’s “miserable conditions.”

Roger Daltrey, the band’s lead singer, threatened to fly back to England until Mr. Heil arrived with his rig. When Mr. Daltrey “did the sound check,” Mr. Heil recalled, “it was OK, because it was a monster P.A.” He would work with the Who for the next decade.

Robert Gene Heil was born Oct. 5, 1940, in St. Louis, the elder of two children of Robert and LaVerna (Bills) Heil. His parents owned a clothing shop in the small town of Marissa, Ill., about 40 miles east of St. Louis.

As a youth, Bob not only played the accordion and the organ but also became a ham radio enthusiast, which gave him an early opportunity to fiddle with electronics. After graduating from Marissa Township High School in 1958, he spent time studying at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and the St. Louis Institute of Music.

In 1966 he opened Ye Olde Music Shop in Marissa, where he rented Hammond organs and repaired instruments for professional musicians. He also began to design his own audio systems.

Before long, he was supplying them to country acts like Dolly Parton and Little Jimmy Dickens as they came through St. Louis. His big break came in 1970, when management of his old employer, the Fox Theater, called him and told them of a crisis: The Grateful Dead was set to play there, but the band’s P.A. system had been confiscated by authorities in a drug raid.

On a subsequent call with Mr. Heil, Jerry Garcia, the band’s lead guitarist and vocalist, “almost dropped the phone” when he learned that Mr. Heil had a sophisticated system featuring an amplifier by McIntosh, the high-end audiophile brand, Mr. Heil told Mr. Berger. Performing Musician magazine later called the resulting concert “the night that modern live sound was born.”

In addition to his daughter Ms. Staley, Mr. Heil is survived by his wife, Sarah (Benton) Heil; another daughter, Barbara Hartley; a stepson, Ash Levitt, the president and chief executive of Heil Sound; a sister, Barbara Schneidewind; and seven grandchildren. Both daughters are from his first marriage, to Judy Mortensen, which ended in divorce.

By 1980, Mr. Heil had grown weary of life on the road, so he created a new line of headsets and microphones for the ham radio industry. At one point, Joe Walsh, another ham enthusiast, told him he wanted to use one of his microphones onstage.

Mr. Heil protested that the microphones were not concert quality. Mr. Walsh disagreed. “I was at his house and went downstairs to his little studio and he proved it to me,” Mr. Heil told TapeOp. “So I had to start listening all over again.”

Alex Williams is a reporter in the Obituaries department. More about Alex Williams