Harry Donovan was one of the world’s foremost rigging experts. He was both an engineer and one of the entertainment industry’s most experienced and respected riggers—a unique combination. He devoted his career to studying the art and science of arena rigging.

Harry’s work in this field began during the early years of arena rigging, when he pioneered the development of modern techniques. He spent 22 years on the road perfecting his craft, rigging more than 4,000 rock-and-roll shows and 200,000 points without a single failure.

Harry worked on the biggest tours with the most difficult and technical rigging, searching for bigger challenges. He toured with Paula Abdul, Aerosmith, Black Sabbath, David Bowie, Jimmy Buffet, Johnny Cash, The Eagles, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, Larry Graham and Graham Central Station, George Harrison, Don Henley, Rick James, Elton John, Tom Jones, Judas Priest, Kiss, Bella Lewitzky Dance Company, Barry Manilow, Boz Scaggs, REO Speedwagon, Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart, Gino Vanelli, The Who, and Robert Wilson.

Harry rigged in almost every kind of venue, including theaters of all types, arenas, coliseums, auditoriums, convention centers, civic centers, hotels, high schools, colleges and universities, sound stages, amphitheatres, airplane hangars, outdoor venues, warehouses, gymnasiums, theme parks, hotels, armories, train stations, art galleries, museums, swimming pools, and stadiums.

Harry also worked in many capacities in the entertainment industry—as rigger, stagehand, master electrician, lighting designer, stage manager, production manager, design engineer for equipment manufacturers, producer, consultant, contractor, instructor, and company owner. He worked on many types of shows: legitimate theatre, Broadway, musicals, opera, circus, ice, rock and roll, industrials, movies, corporate, conventions, dance and ballet, educational, athletic events, religious, festivals, country-western, etc. And he worked with many types of groups, including AA, Amway, Antioch College, CCI, Century-Strand Lighting, the Goodwill Games, Bill Graham Presents, Billy Graham, IATSE Local 15 (Seattle), IATSE Local 16 (San Francisco), Kingdome, Kliegl Brothers Electric Stage Lighting, McCarter Theatre, San Francisco Opera, Microsoft, Seattle Opera, Stage Rigging Inc., TFA, TPN, Talley Management, and Winterland.

Harry’s other company, Rigging Seminars, provided training in entertainment industry rigging. Harry was the world leader in arena-rigging instruction, combining vast practical experience with his engineering background to create highly successful seminars for riggers, technical directors, architects, designers, production personnel, stagehands, students, and venue managers. Thousands of people learned rigging at these seminars. Entertainment Rigging was created as a textbook for these seminars, and has evolved into the comprehensive book it is today from over ten years of interaction with the attendees.

Harry Morin Donovan lost his courageous fight with throat cancer Wednesday, 23 September, 2009. Harry was most proud that having rigged over 200,000 points he never had anything fall. Harry founded Donovan Rigging, in 1988 where he provided services for new projects, venues and installations (permanent systems for the Chicago Bulls Arena, the Phoenix Suns Arena, airplanes at the Museum of Flight in Seattle and for a large shopping center in Chicago to name a few). He also did inspections and investigations of rigging accidents and testified as an expert witness. Harry spent time writing his book Entertainment Rigging and developed a software program he called Rig Right. With the new book in hand and his passion for safety, he formed Rigging Seminars. Here Harry could impart is experience and knowledge to anyone who would listen; stating that hundreds of thousands of pounds of equipment are hung over people's heads every day and people need to have better education and safety, above everything else. Harry was a longtime member of IATSE, USITT and ESTA (where he was instrumental in establish ing requirements and testing for rigging certification). Harry's reputation as a teacher was famous worldwide and garnered him great respect and admiration.