vocalists

 Takehiko Akaboshi, the legendary Japanese music therapist and founder of the world renowned Japan Music Volunteer Association, began his career as a popular singer who recorded traditional and new folk songs as early as the 1950s.  While singing around the country he began seeing the benefits of music on the ill and in 1972 created “ryouiku ongaku” or therapeutic music programs that have since been proven to reduce stress and pain in mind and body for his many patients.  Mr.

Whispering Bill Anderson began his music career as a songwriter penning the 1958 hit “City Lights” for Ray Price. Within a few years Bill was encouraged to sing some of his songs in his low and mellow way. The results were a string of hit songs including the cross-over smash record “Still” in 1963 and a nickname, Whispering Bill. Over the years he has been an actor, game show star and television host but found himself back to songwriting from the 1990s onwards. Music is a great part of Whispering Bill and, luckily for us, he is still sharing it with the world. 

Solomon Burke’s amazing career in music included a number of important landmarks! His early recordings, which combined gospel and the blues, have become important and influential material for generations of soul singers. Known as the King of Rock and Soul as well as the Bishop of Soul, his shows often included new artists, including the soon-to-be legendary Otis Redding and Joe Tex. Solomon also helped to establish the category of “soul” at Atlantic Records. He won countless honors including two WC Handy Blues Awards, a Grammy, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. King Solomon’s powerful vocals and charming personality encouraged many to become music makers the world over.

Carol Buschmann grew up in Sheboygan, Wisconsin where she joined the all girls singing group the Chordettes just a year after it was formed in 1947. She stayed with the group until they disbanded in the early 1960s after having several top selling albums and two hit records in the 1950s including “Mr. Sandman” and the crossover hit “Lollipop.” While with the group she performed all across the country, on television and radio. She and the other girls decided to return home to raise their families, this after having played an important role in popular music. 

Margie Coyle joined several big bands as a singer in the golden age of the swing era. Bandleader Ziggy Coyle hired her for his band and the two fell in love. She worked at her husband’s store, Coyle Music in Columbus alongside Ziggy and years later with their son Jeff. She became NAMM’s first lady when Ziggy served as the president of the board. Together they continued to perform until Ziggy’s passing in 1997.
 

Vernon Drane played several musical instruments growing up in Tennessee including the trumpet and saxophone. He later studied instrument repair and spent several years working with the Amro Music Company in Memphis. Vernon is also a baritone singer who has performed in two church choirs for over 60 years and can be heard on several pop recordings that took part in the early days of rock and roll. Being a friend of Sun Records founder, Sam Phillips, Vernon found himself making extra money writing lead sheets for various bands that came to record, one of which was the Bill Justice band. Vernon recorded several songs with them in 1957 including the multi-million seller, “Raunchy”.
 

Peter Frampton is known around the world as a musician and singer who took the charts by storm in the 1970s. To the music products industry Peter is best known as a friend and promoter of the talk box. Bob Heil created a talk box that he gave to Peter as a Christmas gift in 1973. Peter later used it on his album Frampton Comes Alive! featuring the talk box on the hit singles “Show Me the Way” and “Do You Feel Like We Do.” Peter later established Framptone Products to sell his own line of talk boxes, among other gear. 

Buddy Greco was classically trained on the piano and found himself arranging for Benny Goodman as a teenager. With his love of singing and the encouragement of mentors such as Nat “King” Cole and Frank Sinatra, Buddy launched into his own singing career. Over the years he has recorded a string of hit songs and over sixty albums. His understanding of the musical form and the element of both jazz and pop have complimented his songwriting and arranging, making Buddy a true musician’s musician.  

Andy Hildebrand is the creator of Auto-Tunes, which has had a big impact on music makers since it was first released in 1997. After a successful career as a scientist, Dr. Hildebrand had an opportunity to form his own company and began working on computer plug-ins related to music, his first love. Along the way he formed Jupiter Systems where he developed Multiband Dynamics Tool (MDT), which was one of the first Pro Tool plug-ins. The company name changed to Antares Audio Technologies in 1990 and several years later released the innovative Auto-Tunes.
Since that time Andy has continued to program and create as well as compose and play music.

Eddie Holland gained worldwide fame as a Motown Record’s songwriter and music publisher along with his brother Brian. Eddie was also a recording artist who performed the chart-topping hit “Jamie” in the early 1960s. During the same time he penned a string of hits for some of the biggest names in soul music, many of which have had crossover covers over the last 40 years. The brothers were interviewed together for the NAMM Oral History project and remarked on more than one occasion that they felt blessed to remain strong as brothers and as a songwriting teams after so many years.