In Memoriam

Eddie Tishkoff and his brother Jerry owned the famous Hollywood Piano Company and Hollywood Piano Rental Company located in Southern California, one of the busiest piano rental outfits in the industry thanks to the nearby movie studios. The stores gained fame for providing instruments for the movies and countless television programs including I Love Lucy and Frasier which ran on NBC from 1993 to 2004 and always had a Hollywood Piano Steinway on the set. The Tishkoff brothers were interviewed the day they sold the store to retire.  

Ed Cherney won a Grammy Award for his work as recording engineer for the 1989 Bonnie Raitt’s album “Nick of Time.” This was just one of his many projects as mixer and engineer. He has worked with the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and Elton John, just to name a few. During his career he helped to pioneer recording techniques and equipment as well as build several studios. Ed has won TEC Awards for his work in the industry and is a founding member of the Music Producers Guild of America, which is now the Producers and Engineer’s Wing of The Recording Academy.  

William Reglein played a key role in the growth and development of the jj Babbitt Company since taking over its presidency from his father, Bud. William’s great uncle was the company’s founder, Jessie James Babbitt, who began creating musical instrument mouthpieces out of his small garage in Elkhart, Indiana. The company, in large part due to Bill’s efforts, has grown to include several well-known mouthpiece names and has developed into a place where musicians can count on top-quality production and even custom-made products.  

Richard Loberg worked for the Schmitt Music store for nearly his entire working career. The company was formed in 1896 in Minneapolis, largely as a piano store. Over the years the company expanded its musical products and services. Shortly after World War II, Richard joined the sales force, although getting musical products directly after the war was difficult, as many suppliers were gearing their operations back up. Soon after the products began coming back to the stores, Richard witnessed the boom of guitars and the store’s record department.

Vinnie Bell was a studio musician in New York who often was asked to create new and unique sounds. As a luthier, Vinnie built several innovative guitars including one tuned like a sitar. His efforts were recognized by the Danelectro Guitar Company who hired Vinnie to help design their electric guitars. While building guitars, Vinnie also created larger speaker cabinets as well as other instruments such as the mandolin. Among those Vinnie played with during his long studio career were singers Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra (to name just two)!

Karl Hirano was an electronic engineer for Yamaha in Japan during the great MIDI boom of the early 1980s. In fact, Karl was a member of the team that gathered at the 1983 NAMM Show to discuss the MIDI spec and agree on the protocol and how MIDI would be engineered into the vast number of new electronic keyboards and synthesizers that were in high demand at the time. Karl later played an important role in several MIDI organizations, presentations and focus groups, marking an important part of the music product industry’s history.  

Gene Gray was a sales rep for the mighty Wurlitzer Company from 1965 until 1988. During his NAMM interview, Gene spoke first hand of the great family feelings many had while working for the DeKalb,IL, based manufacturer. Gene played in his high school marching band in college where he studied economics and began working in sales. After several years in a music retail store and in other industries Gene started his long association with Wurlitzer.  

Elaine Taylor began working on the bench at Selmer in Elkhart in 1975, where she covered cases.  Over the years she has worked in the cork and padding department for saxophones, also in the instrument cleaning department, in the office and then as a supervisor in the instrument accessory distribution center.  Elaine later worked in the purchasing department for band instrument repair parts and accessories. She passed away at the age of 64 in 2019 and is missed by all who knew her.

Bob Hale had a long and successful career as an engineer and was able to devote his retirement time to his passion for music as a docent at the NAMM Foundation’s Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, CA. Bob soon became the museum expert on the electronic music displays and began training new volunteers on his vast understanding of the subject. He soon helped design the educational component of the volunteer meetings to enhance the docent’s knowledge of the museum’s artifacts as well as special exhibits.

Joachim Schneider proudly continues in the family tradition of hand crafted instrument making. His great grandfather was a violin builder as was his grandfather. His grandfather and father also became guitar luthiers. Joachim was taught by his grandfather and specialized in building professional level classical guitars. He took over the shop when his grandfather passed away in 1962 and soon fostered relationships with distributors who brought Joachim’s instruments into the global market. Since this time he has handed down the craft of instrument making to his two sons.  

Jimmy Johnson was a co-founder of the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama along with fellow studio musicians Roger Hawkins, Barry Beckett and David Hood. The four musicians, known as the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, started playing together in and around Jimmy’s hometown of Sheffield, Alabama, not too far from where his studio would later stand. He began recording with Frame Studios before establishing his studio in 1969.

Donnie Fritts was born in Florence, Alabama, the right place at the right time to grow up to become a studio musician and songwriter.  Just a little way down the road from where Donnie grew up was the epicenter of the Muscle Shoals Sound –and Donnie was there, front and center!  In the mid-1960s, Donnie met and became friends with Kris Kristofferson.  In fact, Donnie appeared in three movies with Kris and wrote several songs for him as well.  As a songwriter, Donnie wrote “You’re Gonna Love Yourself in the Morning” in 1974, “We Had It All” for Waylon Jennings the year before and “

Clora Bryant was billed as the female Louie Armstrong in the era of the Ed Sullivan variety show. Her raspy-voiced imitations were a big favorite among viewers but the gimmick often over- shadowed her incredible talents as a trumpeter. Most music lovers don’t like to think about how Clora had to struggle. Being a black female jazz musician was not easy and in some places it was impossible. In Los Angeles it was possible to play and not only did she play, she became a chief architect of the LA jazz sound beginning in the 1940s.

Larry Taylor joined the rock/blues band Canned Heat in 1967 just before the band’s string of hit recordings. The gig came after nearly 6 years as a recording artist playing both guitar and bass. As a member of Canned Heat, Larry played Woodstock and Monterey, performing the band’s hits including “Going Up the Country" and "On the Road Again," both of which became international hits. In the 70s and 80s Larry played a key role in the development and popularity of The Hollywood Fats Band, bringing a new feel to the rock/blues bands. Sadly, Larry passed away at the age of 77 just a fe

Jack Martin was a leading piano sales rep for Wurlitzer from 1959 until 1963. Although he spent most of his career in the music industry it was those four years that Jack cherishes the most. During the early part of his career with Wurlitzer, Jack took part in the training classes that Wurlitzer provided its staff. These classes are legendary within the industry boasting of attendees who would go on to become leaders throughout the industry. Jack also worked for Aeolian in East Rochester, New York and the Hammond Organ Company. 

Aspen Pittman grew up in the 1960s as a student of the folk music movement. He studied the art form and performed on every type of string instrument there was to play. During high school he and a buddy got a job delivering organs for a retailer that was just about to open a rock and roll retail shop called Guitar Center. Aspen joined the company within the first six months of its opening and remained in retail until 1973 when he became a sales rep for Acoustic Corp. Over the next several years he outlined goals for his own company, which opened in 1979 called Groove Tubes. He crea

Harvey Vogel was having a difficult time finding and purchasing quality percussion instruments and accessories for his daughter Lauren while she was in high school. He decided to do something about it and Lone Star Percussion – a name that Lauren came up with instead of the "Harvey Vogel Percussion Supply Company" – was formed in the fall of 1978. Harvey made sure that Lone Star carried a complete line of drumsticks, mallets, beaters, brushes, and small accessories, all sold at discount prices and usually shipped within 24 hours.

Betty Lee co-founded Tom Lee Music in Hong Kong with her husband in the early 1950s.  In the beginning, Thomas Lee kept his full time work as an English secretary at a textile company while Betty Lee looked after the day to day administration of the small trading company which was to become Tom Lee Music. When the textile business was not doing well, Thomas Lee began working full time in Tom Lee Music.

Joe Cardinale played jazz bass in clubs and theaters all around New England. He created his own trio and studied at what would be Berklee College of Music. He joined the wholesaler Harris-Fandel in the pre-Beatles era and witnessed first hand the impact the British Invasion had on the industry. Along the way Joe remained passionate about music and music making. In 1986 he formed Joe Cardinal Sales and picked up lines such as G&L Guitars and Jupiter band instruments.

Ellen Cavanaugh brought her innovative business ideas and skillful communication and marketing concepts to expand the historic brands that make up the Super-Sensitive Musical String Company. Formed in the 1930s and established on the Red Label line of strings, Super-Sensitive was purchased by Ellen’s husband in 1967 and the company moved from Chicago to Florida to focus on new markets and a new product line. Ellen played a key role in the company’s expansion into other accessories and musical products.  

Tommy Moore was introduced to the music industry by his father, Woods Moore, who operated Ault’s Music store in Fort Worth, TX. After earning a degree in finance, Tommy returned to the store upon his father’s request to investigate other aspects of the music industry that might interest him. Tommy saw a need for rhythm instruments in the schools that could be made and sold inexpensively, so in 1959 he started The Rhythm Band Company.

Susan Brailove was the director of Oxford University Press and later formed her own music publishing company. With a tremendous understanding of the role of the music editor, Susan published a chronological history of the music engraver’s role. As a member of the Music Publishers Association she expanded the awareness of the music editor’s role within the music industry. Her NAMM Oral History interview was completed on September 14, 2005.  

Dave Bartholomew was a noted bandleader, trumpeter, and songwriter who captured a pioneering sound known as the “big beat” of rock and roll. His uncanny ability to provide the perfect musical expression to the words of his bandmate Fats Domino resulted in a long list of classic recordings. Together the team wrote “I’m Walkin’,” ”Ain’t that a Shame,” “I’m in Love Again,” “Blue Monday,” and “Valley of Tears.” Equally impressive were his talents as arranger and bandleader. Over the years he cultivated the talents of legendary musicians including his drummer and life long friend Earl

Dr. John became the unofficial ambassador of New Orleans music by showcasing the mystic and voodoo rich traditions of southern Louisiana, which has become the backdrop to many Mardi Gras celebrations over the years. As a soloist and bandleader, he recorded million selling albums that have produced hit songs. As a sideman he can be heard on thousands of recordings including those with BB King for which he toured with for over 18 years.  Dr. John was also awarded for his passion for music education and music advocacy, especially for programs involving providing young children with t

William Dunkley and his wife Dorothy co-founded Dunkley Music Stores in Boise, Idaho. In addition to taking the trade of organ and piano sales out of the store and into the truck to their customers, the Dunkley’s were widely known in the industry as great advocates of music making. Along with a long list of local and national music-related charities, they have contributed to the growth of the music products industry on several levels. William’s love for aircraft and their annual flights to the NAMM show are also legendary within the industry.  

Richard Janda specialized in repairing stringed instruments. It was also something he enjoyed very much. During World War II he was trained to repair the band instruments for the U.S. Military marching band, in which he was the trombonist. After the war he sought to add to that education while working in the repair department of Reed Music in Austin, TX. He opened up Richard’s Music in Austin a few years later and remained happily repairing and selling band instruments until his retirement in 2008. Richard was a dear friend of this program and lived to be 99 years old.  

Russell Thomas was a band director for over 34 years.  During his teaching years he often felt frustrated that simple repairs would take weeks and often delay concerts or rehearsals.  A local music store provided him an opportunity to learn simple repairs, which led to a passion that resulted in training at Allied Supply.  In 1967 he opened Thomas Music Inc. in upstate New York.  Russell was at the very first meeting of repairmen who helped form NAPBIRT. 

Kevin Becka started playing guitar at 11 years old and aspired to become a famous guitar player. Eventually realized he had a passion for engineering while working on construction crews building recording studios throughout the Los Angeles area, later becoming an assistant engineer in one of the studios he helped to build. During his NAMM Oral History interview, Kevin recounted the story of recording Breathless with Kenny G, as well as Unforgettable with Natalie Cole.

Charles Walter was a pillar in the piano business for nearly 60 years. He was hired by the C.G. Conn Company to work in the piano design department back in 1964. While there he worked under the legendary Dr. Earle Kent, the Director of Research and Engineering. When the company decided to discontinue one of their piano lines, Charles saw an opportunity. In 1976, he introduced the Charles R. Walter Piano to the keyboard market, which was the beginning of his own brand and design of pianos. 

Manny Lopez was known around the world as the King of the Cha Cha Cha for his 1950s band and hit records dedicated to the dance craze, but Manny’s musical career was far more than just the Cha Cha. Manny was a highly regarded Latino bandleader who wrote several songs that have been recorded by others and used in several movies over the years. His musical performances graced the stages in Las Vegas, Cuba and Los Angeles beginning in the late 1940s and continuing into the early 2000s. In addition to his performances, Manny built several musical instruments that he used on stage and

Preston Epps was the percussionist who had a top 20 hit recording in 1959 entitled "Bongo Rock."  The success of the song led to additional recordings and concert tours that forever tied his name with the bongos!  His fascinating career in music included gigs with Count Basie, Ben Pollack and even as the drummer for the doo wop group the Penguins.  Preston's remarkable passion for music was a joy to witness and those of us who were able to known him personally will never forget his smile and warm encouraging spirit. 

Parham Werlein followed in the footsteps of his father, grandfather and great-grandfather as president of Werlein’s For Music in New Orleans, Louisiana. Like his predecessors, Parham also served on the NAMM Board and was a great supporter of the American Music Conference (AMC). Parham’s interview was completed on the day after Werlein’s closed its doors for the final time, which was only the 5th day of closing in its history. The first time the store closed its doors was during a battle close to the warehouse during the Civil War.