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One week from today diehard Klipsch fans will descend upon the small town of Hope, Arkansas to pay homage to Paul W. Klipsch who founded Klipsch Audio 70 years ago and to celebrate their collective passion for the special brand of speakers he created.

On May 20 and 21, more than 125 “Klipsch community” forum members and brand devotees will gather at the site of the small tin shed (pictured below) where Klipsch—described as a genius, madman, and maverick—designed and hand-built the legendary Klipschorn with the intent of bringing live music into his living room. He succeeded.

Today, the site is occupied by a manufacturing facility, warehouse, and the Klipsch Museum of Audio History, which in addition to offering a fascinating peek into the formative years of the company houses a collection of audio artifacts from Bell Telephone/Western Electric, Armstrong, RCA, Voigt, Edison, and others.

The pilgrimage is not a new phenomenon, but this is the first time the event is being planned and executed by fans.

“Klipsch and its forum members have a relationship that most companies can only hope to achieve,” said Christy Luquet, Klipsch forum moderator and brand enthusiast. “It is based on mutual respect for high quality speakers and preserving the high standards that Paul W. Klipsch started this company with 70 years ago in that small tin shed in Hope, Arkansas. The close friendships we have made with members on the forum and Klipsch employees became the driving force behind my interest in coordinating the annual Pilgrimage this year. I hope that we can pass the emotion, respect and loyalty we have for Klipsch down to many generations to come,”

Klipsch employees in Hope will be treated to an appreciation lunch provided by forum members on Friday, May 20. Klipsch fans will then spend the remainder of their time touring the Klipsch plant, audio labs and museum, as well as getting demonstrations of new and existing Klipsch speakers. Klipsch historian Jim Hunter and principal engineer Roy Delgado will be on hand for a question and answer session. Both employees had the privilege of working first-hand with founder Paul W. Klipsch (a.k.a. PWK) and have been with Klipsch for more than 65 years collectively.

Special guest Colleen Murphy, founder of the Classic Album Sundays (CAS) organization, will make her way from the UK to attend the event. Murphy is dedicated to the vinyl revolution, sharing the stories behind noteworthy albums and orchestrating in-depth listening sessions on hi-fi audio systems for the fellow music enthusiasts.

“I’ve been a Klipsch enthusiast for over two decades,” Murphy said. “I’ve DJ’d in venues from London to New York City to Tokyo on dance floors surrounded by multiple Klipschorns, the same speakers I have squeezed into the living room of my home and that started Classic Album Sundays. Needless to say, Klipsch is in my DNA. I am looking forward to learning more about the brand’s legendary history and spending time with like-minded Klipsch fans.”

For more information about the Klipsch Pilgrimage, visit klipsch.com .

For Klipsch history, visit klipsch.com/founder.