Sun Ra

The Minimoog was frequently played by Ra starting around 1970. In this photo, the Minimoog can be seen on top of an RMI Rock-Si-Chord. The keyboard in the foreground is a Farfisa Professional organ.

The following comes from the article “Sun Ra & The Minimoog” from the Moog Foundation website:

In 1969, a year before the introduction of the Minimoog, Sun Ra became familiar with Bob Moog’s modular studio synthesizer. He was given a demonstration in New York by Gershon Kingsley. Sun Ra first met Robert Moog after Downbeat journalist and Sun Ra acquaintance Tam Fiofori arranged for a visit to Moog’s factory in Trumansburg in the Fall of 1969. This was most likely October. Bob and his crew were testing prototypes of the Minimoog at that time, inviting Sun Ra to explore its sounds. A recording of this test session was made and, although not originally intended for commercial release, partly released many years later in 1992 as the “Moog Experiment” (My Brother the Wind, Vol. 2, CD tracks 7-11, Evidence Records.) But more significantly, it was during this visit that Moog loaned Sun Ra a prototype Minimoog (Model B), several months before the commercial instrument (Model D) was introduced in March 1970. Ra immediately added the instrument to his repertoire of keyboards, later acquired a second, and featured the Minimoog prominently on many of his recordings of the early 1970s. Sun Ra sometimes played two Minimoogs at the same time to achieve a duophonic synthesizer sound.

Moog confirmed this story of Sun Ra’s visit to Trumansburg, stating that Sun Ra and his band arrived in Trumansburg, “fourteen or fifteen people and they came up in cars, and each one was older than the other.” Moog never got the Minimoog prototype back, nor did this concern him. The “Sun Ra Minimoog” was the third or fourth prototype that Moog built.

Starting on 2:48, he can be seen playing a Yamaha DX7 in a 1989 episode of "Night Music".

In this photo, Sun Ra can be seen posing behind a Farfisa Professional organ circa 1973.

Sun Ra can be seen playing an Electra Piano in this ad from Hohner.

In this photo from Wikipedia, Sun Ra can be seen playing his Yamaha SY-22 at the New England Conservatory of Music, February 27, 1992.

In this photo, Sun Ra can be seen playing a Gibson G-101 combo organ on stage at UC Davis in 1968. Sun Ra started touring with the Gibson G-101 in 1967 and later featured it on his 1969 Atlantis album. The album's sleeve lists the instrument as "Solar Sound Organ."

In this photo, Ra can be seen playing a Yamaha YC-30 organ at the Newport Jazz Festival, in Newport, Rhode Island, circa 1970.

In this photo, Sun Ra can be seen on the right playing a Hohner Clavinet C.

Sun Ra played a Vox Continental Baroque during a performance with his Arkestra at the Newport Jazz Festival in Newport, Rhode Island circa 1970.

In this photo, Ra can be seen playing an Eko Tiger. He toured with this organ throughout Egypt in 1971. More photos and background can be found here.

Sun Ra's Farfisa Professional Piano can be seen in this screenshot from a 1971 interview with Ra in Helsinki.

Sun Ra played a RMI Rock-Si-Chord on his 1970 album The Night of the Purple Moon. The back cover of the record states that Ra plays a "ROKSICHORD" on every song on the record. He also played one live at various times throughout the 1970s.

In this photo, Sun Ra can be seen playing a Farfisa Professional Duo.

In the film "Space Is the Place," at the 35:32 mark, the Moog Minimoog Model B is visible in the background behind Sun Ra at his outer space employment agency headquarters. This visual evidence supports that Sun Ra utilized the Minimoog Model B, along with the Minimoog Model D, both of which appear at various points throughout the movie. This information is corroborated by the source, Steelworker Records, on YouTube.