CG Conn

Lewis Brown joined the CG Conn Company in 1941 working in the band instrument assembly department. Less than two years later he was drafted to serve the United States during World War II. When he returned to Elkhart his job was waiting for him. He soon gained experience with the building of French Horns and stayed in that position from 1946 until 1971 when Conn closed. Lewis stayed in Elkhart to work for the Blessing’s Band Repair Shop where he once again focused on French Horns but also worked on all other types of band and orchestral instruments. When Quinlan & Fabish purchased the repair shop in 2007, Lewis stayed on as a repairman, which is where he was working when he was interviewed in 2010 when Lewis was 90 years old. 

James Glanville was part of the team that relocated the Conn instrument manufacturing operations from Elkhart, IN to Nogales, Mexico, back in 1972. The result was a heavy blow to Elkhart, which had once been the Band Instrument Capital of the World. However, it was a needed move in order to keep the company viable in the changing world of manufacturing. James worked hard to produce quality instruments in the Nogales factory, which remained open until the early 1980s.

John Gronemeyer has enjoyed his career in the school band instrument segment of the industry, which has included sales positions at CG Conn, King, UMI and Jupiter Band Instruments. John worked for Danny Henkin when many of Henkin’s music companies were sold and became United Musical Instruments in 1985. John worked hard to ensure that the brand names would not suffer in the years that followed the sale of the companies, and in fact it was John who brought a great awareness of the brand to new markets.
 

Danny Henkin is one of the true characters of the music products industry. He began his career with G. LeBlanc Corporation and later worked as sales and marketing manager for Gemeinhardt Flutes – that is, before he bought the company. His background was in advertising and over the years he grew to understand the inner workings of the industry and the business end of those companies he worked with. By the early 1980s, Danny had owned 26 music companies including C.G. Conn, Armstrong Flutes, and King Musical Products. While owner, he also expanded the product line to include a Conn Henkin clarinet; the instrument Danny began playing as a boy.
 

Don Hogue worked with Dr. Kent in the C.G. Conn Research Department. The historic lab created or improved many mathematical and engineering theories that had been used in countless musical instrument designs. Don is particularly proud of the Stroboconn, as it served as the first tool to measure the frequency of an instrument. His NAMM Oral History interview was completed on July 23, 2005.
 

Jack Hyde was the classic music retailer of the 21st Century. Jack opened a store in the mid 1950s because he loved music, plain and simple. The store, in Northern California, became such a success that he soon opened a chain of Jack’s House of Music stores. His mall store at Arden Arcade in Sacramento brought band instruments, teaching and repair to the mass shopping venue, a thought that was ahead of its time. He was an unassuming salesman who preached the value of a music education and rarely put on the hard sell.

Fred Morgan was one of the few GI’s, returning home from World War II, who were accepted to the Conn School of Musical Instrument Repair the first year it started. The year was 1946 and Fred was excited to learn first hand at the factory from many of the craftsmen who built the instruments from the start. Although the school only ran for a few years it produced a large number of repairmen who set up their own shops all across the country. Fred’s Repair Shop is located north of Sacramento in Rocklin, California.
 

Norman Pickering has had a storied career. He has worked as instrument designer for the legendary C.G. Conn Company in Elkhart. He has also played a large role in the audio engineering field with his company, Pickering Audio, which produced record pick-ups for radio stations around the world and designed the modern phonograph cartridge. As an engineer, he has also worked on airplanes and even medical ultrasound techniques, yet he is never too far from the field of musical engineering.

Doc Severinsen had a mighty career as Johnny Carson’s bandleader on the “Tonight Show” and as a recording artist on several important albums. He is also widely known within the music products industry for his role in perfecting the design and feel of the trumpet. Doc worked for several companies over the decades including as the Vice President for Product Development for Danny Henkin at CG Conn. His recent endeavor has been working with Bryan Autry on his own trumpet. “Bryan and I wanted to finally make a horn that we liked. I think we came up with the best trumpet made, it feels and sound better than any horn I have played.”  

Harold Stone served the music products industry in many ways over a long and celebrated career. After working in a music retail store (Mays Music), Harold joined the CG Conn Company where he stayed for 27 years developing a business and marketing plan as well as creating the sales training for the Conn sales school programs. Harold also worked for Leblanc and Getzen with a focus on national sales and management training. As a musician he played tuba, string bass, and trumpet, as well as singing in jazz bands, Air Force bands and even symphonic orchestras.