Musicians

National Wanna Play Music Week, May 3-7, ends on a high note with the Friday announcement of National Music Store Appreciation Day by NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry.  The commemorative day will recognize and thank the thousands of local business heroes who help to promote music making.

 The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) announced today that the schedule of exhibitor-sponsored artist appearances and events being held at the 2011 NAMM Show has been posted online at http://www.namm.org/thenammshow/2011/events/wednesday.

The schedule features a full listing of events and performances happening each day during the NAMM Show at the Anaheim Convention Center and the adjacent exhibit areas at the Marriott and Anaheim Hilton hotels.

Arthur Adams has written and played the blues nearly his entire life! He played guitar for many top blues players such as BB King, Elmore James, Lowell Fulson and Gene Allison. Arthur also wrote some wonderful songs that are a part of our musical history such as "Love and Peace" covered by Quincy Jones on his Grammy winning album in 1969 Walking In Space! Arthur's music has been included in several box office hit movies including his instrument hit "Pipe Dream." The great Sam Cooke recorded one of his early songs called "Somebody's Gonna Miss Me."

Davie Allan was an early user of the fuzz tone boxes in the 1960s and put them to good use on a number of his instrumental hits with the Arrows. He also used the effects on many of the soundtrack works he completed for movie studios over the years. His pioneering sound has been an influence on many performers since his early recordings. Among his most popular songs is “Blues’ Theme” for the biker film The Wild Angels. The tune incorporated a heavily distorted guitar lick by Davie and was released as a single that made it to the Top 40 of the Billboard charts.

Ian Anderson grew up in England during the 1960s and had a long list of guitar heroes who inspired him to play music. However, he found the power of people like Eric Clapton to be disconcerting, as young Ian felt inferior next to such guitar gods. He felt his best chances to success in rock was to play an instrument that Clapton did not play and so he found his way to the flute. Ian’s ear and passion for music allowed the otherwise non-rock instrument to not only fit in, but to become an influence.

Muriel Anderson sure puts her heart and soul into her music as both a performer and songwriter. Over the years the music products industry has been lucky to be closely associated with Murial thanks to her endorsement of instruments and accessories as well as her widely successful All Star Guitar Nights, a feature at NAMM Shows since 2000. Her many projects include raising funds for school music programs and music education.
 

 Ray Anthony has only endorsed two products during his long and successful career-- only two because he doesn’t give use of his name lightly.  As a teenager he played trumpet for the famed Glenn Miller Orchestra during the swing era.  A decade later he formed his own band and recorded a number of his own tunes including “The Bunny Hop.”  He played a Selmer trumpet in his early career, but switched some 40 years ago to a Yamaha trumpet.  Ray also formed his own music publishing company along the way and produced and released several well-selling albums.

Ron Anthony can be heard playing his jazz guitar on several classic recordings of George Shearing as well as on the top selling CD, Frank Sinatra’s “Duets.” His love of music goes back to his childhood and has remained in full force ever since those early days. In addition to performing, Ron is a music teacher and a songwriter. His songs have been recorded by many artists including George Shearing. He co-wrote “It’s Always 4am” with legendary songwriter Sammy Cahn, which has been recorded by several artists over the years.

Vinny Appice began playing drums at a young age, just like his older brother Carmine. Vinny played drums ever since the age of eight and by age sixteen he was working with John Lennon! His influential career developed in the 1970s with a series of albums, and by 1980 joined the rock band Black Sabbath. Two years later he left the band with singer Ronnie James Dio to form the band Dio, which resulted in five studio records before Vinny left the band in 1989. His drumming style has been the inspiration for a generation of players who were fascinated with his steady and driving force while also able to play soft and gentle.

Rod Argent had an idea for a new sound, a new band in a new era of music. After creating a group and writing songs to perform and record, Rod’s dream of a new style of rock was born (with the help with his fellow countrymen, the Beatles). His group, the Zombies, helped change the face of music and scored several hits in the 1960s including “She’s Not There,” “Tell Her No” and “Time of the Seasons.” After the group dissolved he formed the band Argent, which toured and recorded for nearly a decade before he reestablished the Zombies for world tours in the 1990s and early 2000s.