electric organs

Dennis Awe is passionate about the organ! As a recording artist he has performed on many products, endorsing the Lowrey Organ for many decades. As a keen salesman, Dennis has written books on the process of marketing and selling to encourage others. As a music maker, Dennis has brought the sounds of his talents to millions, with a smile and a friendly handshake. His love of the industry is only equaled by his desire to see growth in the sales of musical products, a goal he is always willing to share with others. 

Rosemary Bailey was ten years old when she was hired by Hammond as a concert artist. Over the years, she took part in the growth of the organ market in the 1970s and had first-hand experiences bringing music to millions. Her interview was filled with remarkable stories of being in the industry when trends and popularity for musical instruments changed, such as the Hammond Piper all the way to the early days of MIDI. Rosemary is currently working with the Roland Corporation. 

Kyle Barker began working in the piano retail industry in 1969 when the Sherman & Clay Piano Company in Northern California hired him. Five years later he established Barker Music in Modesto, where he would later expand the line to include guitars and percussion. Kyle also opened a second store in Stockton, CA. Like many music retailers, Kyle remains a very active musician, playing keyboards and singing both in a group and solo work in the community. His passion for music remains evident to anyone who walks in the store. 

Mike Bates is the senior member of the Institutional Solutions Group in the Keyboard Division of Yamaha Corporation of America. Over the last 28 years with the company, Mike’s career has included nine years as the general manager of the Music Education Division. In his long career with Yamaha, he has been responsible for numerous special projects on behalf of both Yamaha and the music industry, including working on the team that developed the music and arts advocacy materials created by NAMM/MENC in the early 1990's. Mike was also on the small team that developed the initial Technology Guidelines for Music Educators, published by MENC and was a founding board member of The Technology Institute for Music Education (Ti:ME).

Lyle Bird grew up in a musical family with his mother playing the piano daily. As a teenager he played trumpet in several swing bands during the big band era including with such leaders as Henry Busse. He played in a band during his navy service during World War II and again played in several small bands after the war before being hired by the Sherman Clay Company. Lyle sold saxophones for a short time, long enough he would say in order to realize he wanted to sell pianos. He managed a Sherman Clay location in Walnut Creek, CA and trained on selling organs direct to the customers in their homes and was the first to bring stand-up organ players to the front of mall stores as a drive for customers.

Ed Blasco was one of the best known organ salesmen in Kansas City during the 1970s. He worked for Sherman Clay, Jenkins Music and even ran his own store, Ed Blasco’s Conn Organ Center in the mid 1970s. Ed’s passion for the organ was the foundation of his selling and he never lost sight of the important role he played bringing music into the lives of his customers and their children. He was active with the Yamaha Company and their "Play For Keeps" program as well as with the Roland Corp.  Ed gained the friendship of many people in the industry, especially those at Conn Organ, several of whom recommended that Ed be included in the NAMM Oral History some 30 years after last working with Ed.

Richard Bridgeman was the Director of Product Management of Hammond beginning in the mid 1960s. Dick came to the company as the original B-3 organ production was coming to an end. He oversaw the introduction of the new semi-conductor organs. With his warm personality and detailed understanding of the inner workings of the products; Dick became a well respected member of the Hammond team. During our interview, his insight proved to be rather intriguing as he described products, such as the Hammond Condor Product Line, which did not become as successful.   

Curt Carter was in the right place at the right time. As a piano dealer, he watched the boom of the home market explode during the late 1960s and 70s. He pooled his resources, teamed with organ suppliers and established Organ Exchange. The chain of retail stores, particularly those which dominated the California market, changed the entire face of the organ market with discounts, promotional sales and musical events free to the public. Organ Exchange became a highly successful company based on the method of selling and advertising, which was created by Curt and later enhanced by Robert Hill who served as president. When the boom was over, Curt and Robert changed the name and focus of the company to Piano Exchange. 

Kenny Chilton was deeply passionate about the electric organ. While working at a piano and organ retail store in the Los Angeles area in the late 1960s, Kenny was approached by a research team working with the Mattel Toy Company. After answering a series of questions over several days he was asked if he would be interested in helping the toy company design and produce a low end organ instrument. Kenny headed the sales efforts for the Optigan, which was produced between 1971 and 1976.

Dick Christian has spent his entire career in the piano and organ business and has made many friends along the way. His support for the industry led him to the role as president of the National Piano Travelers Association. Having worked retail before joining the teams of Thomas, Baldwin, Wurlitzer and Samick, Dick has a great understanding of the role a salesman can fill for both supplier and dealer and works to help both from his position.