Inventor of karaoke passes away

Shigeichi Negishi's daughter, Atsumi Takano, announced that her father died of natural causes on January 26 following a fall.

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, Negishi was in his 40s when he came up with the idea to build a prototype for a mass-produced, coin-operated karaoke machine branded as the "Sparko Box," after a colleague at the consumer electronics assembly business he ran in Tokyo criticized his singing.

Until the Sparko Box appeared in 1967, karaoke-like activities involved the use of live bands or backing tracks provided by instrumental recordings.

HE COULD NOT PATENT IT

The Sparko Box used eight-track tapes consisting of commercially available instrumental recordings, and the lyrics were provided in a paper booklet. The business faced challenges, and Negishi dissolved the company in 1975.

He never obtained a patent for his invention.

News Source: 12punto