James Robert "Bob" Curlee

James Robert “Bob” Curlee, 71 of Winnsboro, died on January 18, 2017 after a fight with lung cancer.  The son of James R. “Jim” Curlee Sr. and Elizabeth D. “Lib” Curlee, and the husband of Patricia Schott Curlee, he was a retired audio/video producer/director/engineer and musician who enjoyed hunting and offshore fishing.

 Early in his teens, he received his Amateur Radio license (K4BYV) and later became a broadcaster, working for WCKM in Winnsboro, WKSC in Kershaw and WNOK-FM in Columbia, and at WUSC radio while a student at the University of South Carolina.  In 1964 he became a founding member and bass player of “The Dynamic Chantelles”, a ten-piece rhythm and blues and beach music band from Winnsboro.  In 1969, after a stint in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, he joined the production staff of the South Carolina Educational Television Network, where in 1973 he became Lighting Director, as ETV transitioned technology from black and white to color television production.  During this time, he was honored to work with such notables as Lowell Thomas, Bob Hope, Dave Brubeck, Peter Ustinov and many other famous stars and performers involved in ETV productions for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).  Also during the 1970’s, he was bass player and sound and lighting technician for the bands “Justice” and “Old Dogs, New Tricks” from Columbia, and more recently played bass for the “Reunion Band” from Winnsboro.

 In 1978, he resigned from ETV to devote his full attention to developing his budding music recording business, Strawberry Jamm Recording Studio in West Columbia.  While developing his studio business, he had the opportunity to work with the Bee Gees at Criteria Studios in Miami and with Steve Cropper of Booker T and the MGs and the Blues Brothers at Strawberry Jamm, along with other well-known recording artists for major record labels. The studio grew to become the first automated 24-track studio in South Carolina, and today it is known as “Strawberry Skys”. 

Since selling his recording business in 1986, he has been a freelance multi-media producer, also providing acoustic design services for a variety of clients, designing two television production studios, seven music recording studios and three video editing suites in three states.  More recently, he devoted eight years as a contract media specialist with Midlands Technical College, assisting in the development of the college’s IP-based videoconferencing technologies and providing video production services for the college until his retirement from the state in 2010.

  Having received many awards and certifications over the years, he was elected a member of the prestigious Audio Engineering Society (AES) in 1979 and the Society of Professional Audio Recording Studios (SPARS) in 1981, and was on the board of directors of The Fairfield County Historical Society and the Friends of Mt. Zion Institute (FOMZI).  He held present and past memberships in The Recording Institute of America, The South Carolina Press Association, The Better Business Bureau of the Midlands and the Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce. 

Surviving are his wife Pat of the home, his children, Elizabeth Curlee Shealy “Beth” and her husband Channing of Lexington, and Emily Curlee Bebbington and her husband Sean of Lexington, and nine grandchildren, Alexis, Carson, Tyler, Jonah, Chloe, Shelby, John Thomas, Hannah and James. 

Funeral services will be held at 3:00 pm Sunday, January 22, 2017 at First United Methodist Church of Winnsboro conducted by Reverend Reggie Rowle.  The family will receive friends one hour before the service at the church.  A reception will be held after the service in the church fellowship hall.  Burial will be private. 

Memorials may be made in Bob’s memory to the Fairfield County Museum/Historical Society, PO Box 6, Winnsboro SC 29180. 

Pope Funeral Home is assisting the Curlee family.