In Memoriam

Sonny Osborne and his brother Bobby created one of the most powerful bluegrass sounds of their generation. The Osborne Brothers were powerful in popularity because of their influence as well as their technique, which was not necessarily hard driving, but creative and flowing. They began recording together on a Kitty Wells song back in 1948 and over the years began releasing their own albums. In recent years Sonny introduced his own line of banjos called The Chief. He had often said, “I'm not in the banjo building business, nor am I trying to make a living selling banjos. The idea

Ron Tutt is best known for playing drums behind Elvis Presley during most of the king’s tours during the 1970s. Ron grew up with a deep passion for music and the drums, which led him to audition for Elvis as he was putting a band together for his Las Vegas comeback. Ron toured with Elvis, which may have hit its high point in 1973 for the via satellite television program live around the world from Hawaii. In the years following Elvis’ death in 1977, Ron recorded and toured with several artists including Billy Joel, Jerry Garcia and Neil Diamond.  Ron also endorsed several companies

Mel Wisniewski gave music lessons in a small music store in upstate Wisconsin and soon discovered he was interested in the idea of owning his own store. Not wanting to compete with his friend, Mel and his brother, Joe, moved to Southern Illinois where they established Wisniewski Brother’s Music in 1963. A year later Joe returned to his full time job for a phone company and Mel continued to run the store. With the home organ boom of the late 1960s and 70s, Mel expanded to six stores, including several in local shopping malls. 

Luis de Pablo was a Spanish classical composer who provided works for symphonies, chamber orchestras, operas, choir and film over his long and successful career. He was born in Bilbao, Spain, and by age twelve was composing his own pieces. Among his influential teachers was the German composer Max Deutsch, who was like a second father to Luis. His first published compositions were collaborations with Maestro Deutsch, which was very meaningful to Luis. In 1953 he composed “Gárgolas” which was followed by a rich body of work that included “Sinfonias” in 1954, “Progressus” in 1959, “

Beverly Noga learned all she knows from her mother about the music business. Helen Noga was one of the owners of the Blackhawk Club and the Downbeat Club in San Francisco, California, who later became the woman who discovered Johnny Mathis and brought him to the height of his career. Later, Beverly worked with them in publicity and promotion. After Helen retired, Beverly formed her own publicity office, Contemporary Public Relations in the early 1960s and worked with such artists as Cream, The Bee Gees, The Turtles, Three Dog Night and several others.

Jim Widner was given a very special opportunity to join his grade school’s orchestra, which provided him an instrument to play. His love of music was fostered years later when he became a student of his highly influential high school band director. These early experiences set Jim on his path in music, which has included touring with big bands (Stan Kenton, Woody Herman and Buddy DeFranco), teaching (and creating a jazz program at the University of Missouri at St.

Dex Johnson grew up in the music retail business. His mother and father formed their store, Mississippi Music, after World War II and his father became an industry leader, even serving as President of NAMM in the 1970s. Dex worked in every department of the company and managed several of the locations of Mississippi Music over his career. Dex’s wife, Rosi, served as president of the company and together the couple became strong supporters of several industry programs and organizations including NASMD for which Rosi served as the first female president of the board, making Dex “The

Dr. Lonnie Smith was among the well respected organists who endeared himself within the music products industry as a master of the Hammond B3, who often demonstrated his skills for fellow musicians. He was a regular performer at the NAMM Shows since the 1960s. Dr. Lonnie was born in Lackawanna, New York, and soon joined his singing family on the radio performing everything from gospel to jazz. Over the years he recorded with a long list of jazz artists such as George Benson, King Curtis and Joey DeFrancesco. His recordings on the Blue Note Record label beginning in 1967 captured s

Joe Swenson played trumpet in grade school and was influenced by his mother who played the piano and gave lessons.  While earning his degree in trumpet performance in college, Joe worked in a local music store where his interest in piano tuning began.  He befriended the store’s piano technician and worked by his side throughout his college years, then took over the tuning business a few years later.  Joe also worked as a piano salesman before becoming involved with the Geneva Company, which included the brands of Nordisk and Petrof Pianos.  With a background in repair, tuning and

Bob Moore’s bass can be heard on countless recordings made in Nashville during the 1950s through the 1980s.  As a member of studio musicians known as the A Team, Bob played on recordings with everyone from Patsy Cline to Elvis Presley.  In the 1960s he had a string of hits with his own band including the instrumental “Mexico.”  Bob’s bass playing helped blend country music and rock and roll to form the Nashville Sound along with fellow A Team members Boots Randolph, Harold Bradley, Floyd Cramer, Buddy Harman and producers Owen Bradley and Chet Atkins.  

Colin Bailey famously played brushes on the song “Linus and Lucy” by Vince Guaraldi, which was made popular thanks to the Peanuts cartoon television specials. His long career included gigs with Miles Davis, Clare Fischer, Benny Goodman, Frank Sinatra and George Shearing. He also often filled in for Ed Shaughnessy on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson! Colin wrote three drum method books, which were published by Hal Leonard. The books are based on his own teaching style that he developed over the years with his students while also working as a session musician in Los Angeles.

Maudie Moore was hired by Gibson Guitars in 1962 to do small piece work and soon branched out to engraving, which became a specialty for her over the next several decades.  In fact, she opened her own shop called Moore’s Engraving in Kalamazoo in 1972, which allowed her to work with several other companies over the years including C. F. Martin and Heritage Guitars.  Her special projects included the Gibson anniversary series with Les Paul and the BB King signature models known as “Lucille.”  Maudie’s great passion for her craft was clear in each and everyone of her projects. 

Holger Siems had a prolific career in music publishing. Beginning in his native Germany, Holger worked for several top publishing firms in key positions. Among his many accomplishments included establishing the United States branch of G. Henle Press. Relocating to Missouri, Holger helped bring the Henley catalog to America, where he worked closely with the Retail Print Music Dealers Association (RPMDA) and others in supporting music making by promoting method books and music training publications.  He was a mentor to many and a friend to many more.

Melvin Dunlap played bass on several classic soul and R&B recordings beginning in the early 1970s. When he was a kid, he was sick and stuck in bed for an extended period of time and started playing an old Fender bass his parents purchased from a pawnshop in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio.

Keith Chen joined the Tom Lee Music Company in Hong Kong as a guitar salesman.  The large store had a small guitar department when Keith first joined the company and he took great pride in watching the department grow and develop.  During that time he also served in several areas within the guitar department, including repairs.  Keith became a luthier for the store and enjoyed his work in repairs as well as on the sales floor with the customers. He retired in March 2021.

Ernst Lang married Paula Prüller 1958 in Luby, Czech Republic, formerly named Schönbach, and both came from families involved in the production of musical instruments. Ernst Lang’s father, Rudolf, made violins and violas while Paula’s father, Andreas Prüller, owned a company producing purflings for violins, cellos, and guitars. After World War II, the Czech government started nationalizing production facilities and Paula and Ernst Lang’s parents were recruited to work at Cremona in Luby where they both eventually joined the company.

Randy "Baja" Fletcher was a well respected production manager of live events who won the 2010 Parnelli Life Time Achievement Award for his dedication to the industry.  His long and passionate career included work with ZZ Top, Randy Travis and the entire touring career of Brooks & Dunn!  Baja's creativity and innovative spirit inspired many within the industry as he pushed the envelope regarding staging, lighting, sound and shipping.  In addition, Baja is credited for several innovations within the industry regarding load-in all the way to wiring boards and speakers. He died af

Hershel Green spent much of his career in the piano and organ field, working as salesman, technician, and tuner. Along the way, he gained the respect of reps and dealers alike. As a side hobby, Hershel collected Hammond clocks and items regarding the history of the man who made those clocks and went on to create the Hammond Organ Company, Mr. Laurens Hammond. Hersh was a long time member of the National Piano Travelers Association and a strong supporter of the NAMM Oral History program for many years.  In 2019 he was presented the NAMM Believe In Music Award for his dedication to

Johnny Thompson had the distinction of being the very first music student of a young steel guitar player named Ernie ball. Back in the early 1950s, before he established a string company, Ernie was a well-known country player in and around the Los Angeles area and taught a few students for extra money. Studying under Ernie was key to Johnny’s career, as he became a close friend and mentor. In fact, he inspired Johnny to teach lessons on his own starting in 1959. The following year he established Johnny Thompson music in Monterey Park, California. Five years later he constructed hi

Tom T. Hall loved telling a good old country story, you know the ones with a twist at the end and plenty of references to beer and fishin’. When he set those stories to music he helped launch a new era in country music. Beginning with “Harper Valley P. T. A.” in the late 1960s, Tom T. wrote and sang about believable and often beloved characters.

Dan Slick grew up in Johnstown, PA playing the family’s upright piano but soon switched his focus to the organ. He began his career in the music industry working at Fulton Piano and Organ and has since worked with several other companies over the years including Baldwin and Technics. In 1984 he and his wife briefly owned their own store, Good News Piano and Organ in Colorado Springs, CO. Dan believes that both the personal and professional relationships he has developed over the years is just as important as the business itself.

Roy Gaines, like his brother, Grady, who played saxophone for Little Richard, made his mark in the early days of rock and roll. As a blues guitarist, Roy recorded a number of songs for RCA, which have become popular rockabilly tunes such as "Skippy is a Sissy" in 1958. He worked with a number of artists over his long career including Della Reese, Brook Benton, and Harry Belafonte. Roy later worked on movie soundtracks with Quincy Jones and appeared in the movie The Color Purple in 1985 for which he wrote a song for the soundtrack.  

Mike Finnigan was a leading Hammond B3 performer who recorded with many of the top performers in pop, rock, and jazz for nearly 60 years, although his soul had always been rooted in rhythm and blues. In the late 60s, he recorded with Jimi Hendrix and Joe Cocker. Up until the 2020s he toured and recorded with Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal and Tower of Power. In 2017, Mike became an official endorsee of Hammond-Suzuki, promoting the latest model of the B3, which Mike began playing as a teenager.  

Mel Schiff and his wife Sally established All County Music in Tamarac, Florida.  The first store opened in 1976 with a strong focus on band and orchestra music and repair.  However, Mel’s introduction into the industry began when his father established The Schiff School of Music in Brooklyn, New York.  Mel played a vital role there as a trumpet and accordion teacher.  After his father passed away, Mel moved to Florida where Mel and his wife opened their music store with a focus on school music programs. Their son Fred runs the store today and continues the traditions his parents e

Steve Bosse served as president of the Artley Flute Company in the years after his father, Richard, led the company.  Richard and Steve worked together to expand the company and relocate the main manufacturing from Elkhart, Indiana to Nogales, Arizona.  During that time, Steve also ensured the quality of the products remained at its peak and sought ways to improve the flutes during the transition time and the years to follow.  Steve’s brother Carl was also interviewed for the NAMM Oral History program and spoke about how their father played a vital role in the progression of the A

Charles Connor was a pioneer in the early beat of rock and roll. As a drummer in New Orleans in the early 1950s, he played with Professor Longhair and became the original drummer for Little Richard. In fact, it was Little Richard who asked Connor if he could produce a rhythm that sounded like a train – and he did. The train rhythm can be heard on many of Little Richard’s earliest recordings including “Good Golly Miss Molly.” His innovative playing has since been the inspiration for a long list of players and products such as special double bass drum pedals.

Hillel Resner wrote for Mix Magazine for several years before the idea of creating a special award for audio engineering came into existence. Hillel worked alongside David Schwartz, the founder of Mix, to establish what is now known as the TEC Awards. The goal behind the awards is to recognize excellence in the Pro Audio world and over the years has become a coveted prize for those who design and produce recording equipment. When Hillel left Mix he became the president of the TEC Awards Foundation, and under his leadership the organization established the Les Paul Award as well as

Luis Miranda often visited the Palladium Theater as a teenager to dance. During one visit, Luis was asked by a member of the band if he played the congas since their conga player was out sick.  This was the beginning of a 70 plus year career as a Latin percussionist! He worked with some of the biggest names in jazz including Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Cal Tjader. Luis was also an early supporter of Martin Cohen, who launched the Latin Percussion Instrument Company based on the needs of musicians such as Luis.

Byron Berline  established the Double Stop Fiddle Shop in Oklahoma back in 1995. The store became a major hub for musicians which bought and sold a great number of both vintage and new instruments. The store followed Byron’s amazing career as a professional musician, which included recordings with the Rolling Stones (Let It Bleed), Bill Monroe (they co-wrote the classic bluegrass song, “Gold Rush”) and the hit movie Smokey and the Bandit.

Morris “Arnie” Lang played percussion for the New York Philharmonic for over 40 years and wrote the book on percussive technique -- literally. Arnie became involved with the music products industry in the 1950s when he began making his own mallets and later snare drums and complete sets. Along the way, he wrote music and method books, and was inducted into the Percussive Arts Society (PAS) Hall of Fame.  

Dave Bresnan had a true passion for music that began when he was fifteen when he learned to play the piano. Throughout the 1960’s, Dave played guitar and banjo in several groups after discovering Folk music. During this time, he also realized his dream of one day owning his own music store and repair shop. When Frets Old & New opened in Aintree, Liverpool, it quickly became a success thanks to Dave’s passion and outstanding sales and service. While attending guitar shows across the UK, he partnered with Martin Guitars to sell their guitars and accessories at several shows.

James Harman was a Blues harmonica player who shared the staged with some of the biggest names in music history. James was just a young man performing at clubs and bars in the 1960s and 70s when many of the old time Blues musicians were still performing. As a result, he was able to gig with the likes of John Lee Hooker, BB King, T-Bone Walker, Lowell Fulson, Muddy Waters and Albert Collins. Over the years, he became friends with several of the old legends including Big Joe Turner. Big Joe was a pioneering R&B singer known as a Blues Shouter for his loud and expressive techniqu