The Bob Moog Foundation Adds Billy Joel’s Minimoog to Its Archives

11/03/2026

ASHEVILLE, N.C., Nov. 3, 2026 — The Bob Moog Foundation is excited to announce that a Minimoog once owned and played by Billy Joel is now part of the Bob Moog Foundation Archives. Donated by Eric Crawley, the instrument brings a piece of music history into a collection dedicated to preserving and sharing Bob Moog’s legacy.

The Minimoog, serial number 7872, is accompanied by a letter documenting Billy Joel’s ownership and use of the instrument. Written on Maritime Music Inc. letterhead and addressed to a subsequent owner, the letter states that Joel used it “on tour and/or in the studio.” It is signed “Billy Joel.”

Crawley purchased the instrument around 2000 and has shared it at synthesizer events. Now, after more than two decades in his care, the Minimoog and its accompanying materials are now part of the Bob Moog Foundation Archives.

“I’m delighted to have a special instrument that I have enjoyed and shared at synthesizer events in the Northeast, now part of the Bob Moog Foundation Archives to be enjoyed by more people,” Crawley said. “The Bob Moog Foundation’s mission to inspire and educate people of all ages about the instruments that Bob created and the principles of sound and technology resonates with me, and I hope this legendary Minimoog will help inspire that in others.”

Along with the letter, the donation includes the Minimoog’s Anvil road case and two vintage manuals: a 1974 Minimoog Model D Operation Manual by Thomas L. Rhea, Ph.D., copyrighted by Moog Music Inc., and a Moog Minimoog Model 204D Service Manual printed by Norlin in 1979.

Before Crawley acquired it, the Minimoog was modified with a Lintronics MIDI Converter for the Minimoog by Big Briar Inc. During Crawley’s ownership, the keyboard bushings were replaced and minor repairs were made to the power supply. The instrument is in excellent technical condition.

“The Bob Moog Foundation Archives is thrilled to welcome this legendary Minimoog into its vast and growing collection,” noted Michelle Moog-Koussa, Executive Director. “Iconic musicians like Billy Joel helped to bring these early instruments alive, and to inspire audiences around the world. We look forward to continuing that inspiration when we are able to share this Minimoog in our upcoming ‘Minimoog Through The Ages’ exhibit at the Moogseum in downtown Asheville.”

The Minimoog joins a collection of rare and historic instruments in the Bob Moog Foundation Archives, including the Moog modular synthesizer used in the Apocalypse Now soundtrack, Herb Deutsch’s 1971 R.A. Moog Co. Minimoog, a muSonics Minimoog formerly owned by producer Charles Stepney, Gary Wright’s Moog Liberation keytar, the Moog Apollo prototype and the first Minimoog Voyager ever sold.

The Bob Moog Foundation Archives contains more than 15,000 historical materials related to Bob Moog’s life and work and the people who worked with him. The Bob Moog Foundation protects and preserves these materials for researchers, journalists, and museums, while sharing their stories with visitors to the Moogseum in downtown Asheville. Inquiries about donating historical material to the Bob Moog Foundation Archives can be sent to info@moogfoundation.org.

To learn more about the Bob Moog Foundation Archives, visit: https://moogfoundation.org/projects/bob-moog-foundation-archives/

About the Bob Moog Foundation
The Bob Moog Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that carries Bob Moog’s pioneering legacy forward by inspiring people of all ages through the intersection of science, music, history and innovation. Its projects include Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool, an experiential science and music program for elementary school students; the Bob Moog Foundation Archives, which preserve more than 15,000 historical artifacts; and the Moogseum, an immersive museum in downtown Asheville that explores the science, history and cultural impact of electronic music.

For more information, visit www.moogfoundation.org.