Oral History - all
Birth Date: August 11, 1942
Deceased Date: February 1, 2008
Bob Luly built the first sound system for the Rolling Stones that they used in the United States. The system was created for the Orange Show in the 1960s and led Bill to build systems for the likes of Three Dog Night and Frank Zappa (whom Bill played electric bass for on stage in the early part of... more
Birth Date: September 27, 1927
Deceased Date: January 29, 2016
George Lukas recalled, in great detail, when he was aboard a navy ship at the end of World War II and sitting down to play a blue-painted Steinway upright piano (also known as the Steinway GI). Two sailors stood on either side of the piano with rope and knots to ensure George was able to play as... more
Birth Date: August 5, 1916
Deceased Date: April 20, 2007
Elizabeth Ludwig-Fennell was always surrounded by music. As a child, she played piano. As a young adult, she helped develop the Ludwig Music Publishing Company. She later married the founder. Upon her husband’s passing, she took over the business during an era when women seldom were involved in the... more
Birth Date: September 13, 1916
Deceased Date: March 22, 2008
William F. Ludwig II was proud of the company his father started, largely based on the 1909 patented bass drum pedal, which allowed the drummer to sit down for the first time. Bill followed in his father’s footsteps by leading the company, overseeing the company’s reorganization following World War... more
Geoffrey Lorenz is a passionate music publisher who is rather proud of his family's history in the print business. And he should be! The Lorenz family ushered many firsts in the world of print and have come to symbolize quality publications. As a Former President of the Christian Music Publishers... more
Dennis Lord gained fame in the country music field as the co-writer of Travis Tritt’s breakthrough hit “I’m a Member of the Country Club (Country Music is what I love).” After years of refining the craft of songwriting, he had finally gained the success he wanted and yet he realized a life as a... more
Birth Date: May 15, 1937
Deceased Date: August 11, 2020
Trini Lopez became an early Latin-American pop singer with a string of recordings in the late 1950s and 60s including "If I Had a Hammer" and "Lemon Tree." Frank Sinatra took him under his wing and signed Trini to an eight year record contract that included the talents of Sinatra's arranger Don... more
Don Lombardi is the founder of Drum Workshop, who formed the company at the age of 26 with the goal of providing teaching facilities for young drummers in Santa Monica. Don had the opportunity to purchase the equipment to bring the famous Camco drum pedal back to the market place under the DW name... more
Birth Date: December 15, 1944
Deceased Date: January 17, 2016
William Locke worked for the Canadian division of the C.F. Martin & Company going back to the early 1970s. During that same time period, several suppliers came together to form the Musical Instrument Association of Canada (MIAC). William (Bill) joined the board of MIAC, including a term as... more
Michael Lloyd is among the most prolific recording producers of the 1970s and 80s. His long list of successes include the Dirty Dancing movie soundtrack and Debbie Boone’s 70s mega hit “You Light Up My Life.” Michael has been equally innovative in the use in his recordings of electronic musical... more
Birth Date: March 14, 1913
Deceased Date: March 11, 2006
Arthur Linter had many stories to share, like the one about his real birthday. “My mother told me, ‘Your birthday is March 14, 1913, but it says April 5 on your birth certificate because the doctor put it in his pocket and carried it around for a few days before he filed it.’”
He was a street wise... more
Larry "Link" Linkin began his career in the industry as a salesman for the G. Leblanc Corporation and wound up the C.E.O. of NAMM, retiring the year that the organization marked its 100th anniversary. Link not only helped grow NAMM into an international association with ever-growing trade shows,... more
John Limb provided a detailed account of the Catholic music publishing business and its effect on the growth and development of Oregon Catholic Publishing (OCP) for which he served as president. With the company’s roots going back to the 1700s, John was able to paint the full picture of the eras... more
Birth Date: September 24, 1922
Deceased Date: January 29, 2007
Floyd Levin was a promoter of traditional jazz, an author, and music historian. Beginning on radio in the 1940s and then on to writing a music column, Floyd captured some of the greatest stories and characters in the world of jazz. A close friend of many performers such as Louis Armstrong, Floyd... more
Birth Date: January 27, 1928
Deceased Date: June 3, 2015
Dr. Alfio Leone was among the world’s best loved luthier of traditional Italian musical instruments. He learned his craft by years of studying the vintage instrument in the region of Sicily where he was born, established his factory, and where he passed away. In 1958 he changed the name of the... more
John Ledwon is a theater organist with a love for the instruments he plays. Since the age of 11 John has been enamored with the sound and design of pipe organs and has become an expert on the workings of both concert and theater organs. Along the way John has also collected a number of instruments... more
Ernie Lansford has served our industry well. With his attention to his customers and dedication to their satisfaction, Ernie has earned the respect and friendship of many – both suppliers and dealers. As a sales rep for St. Louis Music and for Peavey, Ernie was well traveled, which allowed him to... more
Birth Date: February 2, 1931
Deceased Date: July 5, 2021
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... more
Tony Lalonde comes from a family of inventors. His father, who held several patents for musical accessories, enjoyed a long career as a retailer in Minnesota. Tony and his brother started music stores in California in conjunction with Tony expanding the family’s line of patents and innovative... more
Birth Date: March 30, 1913
Deceased Date: February 6, 2007
Frankie Laine earned over 20 gold records as one of America's leading crooners of the 1950s. Over his long career he sold over 100 million records. Months after his first big hit, “That’s My Desire,” Frankie was the headliner at the 1947 NAMM Show in Chicago, back in the days when the recording... more