Steve Johnson played saxophone in high school and in college while earning his electrical engineering degree. He was able to apply both passions when he joined the pro audio industry working for companies such as Shure and Harman, and also while serving as CEO of Community Professional Loudspeakers. Over the years, he helped guide the industry in the role of president of the...
Library
Recently Completed
Joey Welz was a member of Bill Haley’s Comets as well as Link Wray’s Wray Men. He played piano in the early days of...
Mark Kiesel is the President of Kiesel Guitars in Escondido, California and the son of Lowell Kiesel, the founder of...
Chuck Neitzel joined Deering Banjo in January 1979 having previously been a woodworker with antique furniture. Chuck...
Full Interviews
This is the full length NAMM Oral History interview with Paul Hostetter, which was captured on September 22, 2016. For...
This is the full length NAMM Oral History interview with DJ Fontana, which was captured on July 22, 2001. For his...
This is the full length NAMM Oral History interview with Orrin Foslien, which was captured on July 9, 2015. For his ...
Vignettes
William Gard (1915-1987) served as the NAMM Executive President for over 35 years, beginning right after World War II...
Women’s role in the music industry has progressively grown and developed over the years. When the NAMM Oral History...
Bluegrass Music blends Irish Folk Music with Appalachia Mountain Music, resulting in a unique American roots style...
About the Library & Resource Center
The NAMM Oral History Collection is unique, unlike any other collection in the world. The heart of the Collection is the depth of its narratives that cover innovative creations, the evolution of musical instruments, the ever-changing world of music retail, as well as our collective quest to improve music education around the globe. Oral History participants have come from 72 different countries, 49 U.S. states and were born between 1903 and 1997. This collection is our journal, our own way of chronicling ourselves and our community—the community we so eagerly embrace at the NAMM shows and so proudly celebrate throughout the year. This library of video interviews, now over 3,500 strong and always growing, contains the story of our industry told by those who helped to shape it and have watched it expand and develop through the years.
We hope you find what you're looking for right here, but if you have any questions, please contact us at 760.438.8001 or via e-mail