Richard Borders

Richard Borders, a pioneer in the field of rock concert lighting who produced visuals for artists like The Who, Pink Floyd and Janis Joplin, died in Jacksonville, Florida on September 6, 2022 at the age of 74.

Borders grew up in New York and later New Jersey, where he became an avid surfer in his teen years, winning several competitions. By the late 1960s his focus had turned to rock n' roll. Adept with electronics and visuals despite being severely color blind, Borders developed light shows for a list of festivals and bands that reads like a Who's Who of the 1960s and 70s: Woodstock, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Yes, The Band, and The Who's tour for its groundbreaking album Tommy.

A seeker born into a family of skeptics, Borders had a lifelong interest in consciousness-raising and the paranormal. He studied the teachings of Edgar Cayce and was a devotee of Amrit Desai. He saw auras and spoke of astral projection, channeling his extraordinary visions and experiences into his light shows. Borders was also passionate about documenting the physical world, carrying a video camera everywhere he went - decades before they would be commonplace on our phones. His children remember seeing him body surf one wave at a time with a camera in hand, filming the experience. He once told his five-year-old sister that cats stare at walls because they can see into other dimensions, and to this day, she looks at her cats and wonders.

In 2015, Borders moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where he worked producing and directing television shows and became an integral part of the local arts and music scene.

Borders is survived by his three children: daughter Uriel Stephens and son-in-law Heath Stephens of Grosse Pointe Woods, MI; daughter Cynthia Nunez and son-in-law Fabian Nunez of Perth Amboy, NJ; son Dylan Borders and daughter-in-law Ashley Borders of Keyport, NJ; four grandchildren, Lyla and Jazmin Nunez, Vivian Stephens, and Dylan Borders Jr. He is also survived by his sister, Lisa Borders of Hudson, MA. He was preceded in death by his parents, Bert Borders Jr. and Ruth Creter Borders. A private family memorial will be held later this fall. We ask everyone whose life he touched to raise a glass in his honor.