Australian Bruce Jackson who was a tour sound engineer for Elvis Presley along with a who's who of stars was killed in a plane crash in Palm Springs on the weekend. Bruce was the solo occupant and pilot. Bruce worked for Elvis over a six year period from 1971 up until Elvis final concert in 1977.

Elvis introduced Bruce many times by name on stage and he can be seen briefly at the control board in the 1977 'CBS Special'. In fact towards the end of Elvis' very last concert on June 26, 1977, Elvis thanked, Bruce 'I would like to thank my sound engineer, Bruce Jackson, from Australia'.

Bruce was an Australian audio legend and his star studded live mixing credits have include such names as Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Striesand, Dianna Ross, Johnny Cash, Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Wonder, Rod Stewart and the Faces, Barry White, Jefferson Airplane, Ozzy Ozbourne (Black Sabbath), Jackson 5, Cat Stevens, Art Garfunkel and Lou Reid ... just to name a few. Following is an excerpt of an interview Bruce did in 2000.

Bruce was the head sound engineer of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

You were born in Australia, so how did your end up living in the US?

BJ: 'I went to the US in the early 70s. I'd met up with Roy Clare of Clare Brothers, when he was in town doing 'Blood Sweat & Tears', in either '69 or '70. And this was the first time we'd seen one of the big overseas PA's in Australia. Everything before that was the stuff that we used to make, which was columns. Dynacord and all these other companies were just basically producing speaker columns. I knew a way through the back fence, and so I took a friend of mine, Russell Dallas. We climbed over, checked it out, and were just amazed. So I went up and started talking to Roy Clare. They were a very small company, but Clare Brothers was now by far the most dominant sound company, and he said that he would like to leave the PA here and do a Johnny Cash tour coming up. It was going to be about six months later, and he asked if I would I mind looking after it and helping him out.

I was glad to do that and learn about the new technology. I ended up doing that tour with him, and he said, 'When you come across to London, stop off in the States if you like, and visit'. And so I did, and ended up staying. I helped out with electronic ideas and designs, and also went out on the road as an engineer. It was at the same time when Elvis Presley had started touring again, and was using different sound companies at different areas. And fortunately, everything went well when I did the shows'.

Mixing for Elvis must have been some experience.

What memories do you have of this significant period of your career?

BJ: 'It was over a six year period, and it was hard work. I remember it was hard work, and you are not particularly aware that it's a big deal at the time, other than it's great fun traveling around on that level. You know, because the police loved him so much we'd have the police captains and sergeants, and everyone running us around. And no one toured on the same level, with four or five jet planes. And we used to have like the Playboy plane. So I'd go out with him, and the limo would pull up, you'd walk the stairs up to this black plane with a bunny on the tail, and there'd be the bunnies in there serving us. It was just an amazing lifestyle. And over the years I got to know him real well, so that was a really good experience. And in hindsight I realize how lucky I was, but at the time it was like lots and lots of shows, hundreds of shows, and a lot of hard work'.

• Bruce claimed to have a large number of Elvis soundboard concert recordings.