Brook Mays Music Company Inc.

Charles Ashley grew up playing music and teaching private lessons at an early age.  At the same time, he had a paper route and a part time job at the local music store, Brook Mays in Dallas.  Charles has also been very active in the church and music ministries.  While at Brook Mays, Charles met co-worker Richard Rejino and together they worked within the sheet music department, which was a company within the store.  When the owner of the sheet music’s company retired, Richard and Charles bought the business, named it Accent Printed Music and ran it for several years in the many br

Sue Collier-Lewis played piano as a young girl and loved singing, a passion that has continued with her all throughout her career as a music teacher and music advocate.  After earning her master’s degree in music education she opened her own studios, which lead to her relationship with the Yamaha Music Education program.  She worked for Yamaha until 1997 at which point she began her career in music retail.  Billy Everett hired Sue to join the Brook Mays team, which was the beginning of her long association with business side of the music industry.

Bob Dingley felt lucky that he fell into the industry, which became his passion and his life-long career. On his way to a trumpet lesson he stopped by the local music store to pick up some sheet music and was asked by a school mate if he wanted a job.  From retail to JW Pepper Music Publishing, Bob learned the business in and out, along the way falling in love with the industry.  He worked with several leaders who helped mentor him, including Sandy Feldstein and branched out on his own as a self-publisher and thanks to his involvement with RPMDA, Bob has become a mentor to others.

Billy Everitt grew up in the music industry beginning with weekend jobs at his father’s retail business in Dallas. Billy attended his first TMEA (Texas Music Educators Association) annual meeting in 1969 and ever one since. He became president of Brook Mays, the music retail chain formed in 1901. Billy became an important industry leader and served on several boards including NASMD and as the NAMM President from 1993 to 1995. During his years on the NAMM Board he assisted with establishing the NAMM Foundation’s Museum of Making Music, the NAMM Oral History program and moving the N

Ray Everitt recalls quite clearly buffing band instruments as a kid in the family’s store. The store was established in 1901 by a band director named Brook Mays, who played a key role in the expansion of school music programs and marching bands throughout the state of Texas. The store was later purchased by his grandfather, then his own father, Billy Everitt, for whom Ray works very closely. Ray began his career at Brook Mays in 1996 while still in school and working part time in their Austin store. Just a few years later Ray designed the company’s first website.

Dan Hall was the founder of Hall Piano Company, located on David Drive in Metairie, Louisiana.  The store was opened in 1958 just after Dan had moved from Beaumont, Texas, where he began his career as a piano retailer.  His interesting story in the music industry began by a chance meeting with his brother following World War II.  Dan began working in his brother’s piano store which is where Dan discovered he loved the craft of tuning and repair.  The Hall Piano Company continues to serve the Metairie and New Orleans areas of Louisiana to this day with Dan’s nephew, John Wright Jr.

Al Jensen began his musical career at the age of 13 playing clarinet in a Vaudeville show. That is, he played until his parents found out where he was playing. His band director convinced Al’s parents that if he switched to an oboe, he would never play such music again

Marie Jensen was born in Rosebud, Texas as the daughter of a Texas Ranger. She graduated college in Houston with a business degree before meeting Al Jensen on a blind date. The two were married in 1954 and had their only child, a daughter, in 1959. While raising her family, she helped Al in the store with the books and accounting, especially since Al was on the road so much as a salesman.    

John Maher began his career as an employee of a retail store in Illinois before joining the sales team at St. Louis Music Supply. He worked for the wholesaler for 11 years and traveled to dealers, creating programs and promotions to help them with sales while at the same time developing new and innovative product placement and marketing ideas. John’s passion for selling became as apparent as his love of music and music making. In his early days he played organ for pizza places and piano for special events, a talent he used to sell product, such as the time he was a front pumper in

Vincent McBryde picked up the saxophone at the age of 5 and played in bands throughout high school and into college, where he studied music with the hopes of becoming a band director. After a year of teaching he fell into the music products industry where he has since become a leader and visionary. 

John McMurray's father opened a music store in the years following World War II in St. Louis. John joined his father in business after attending college and working for a few other music companies including Stanton Music in Georgia. Under John's leadership, McMurray Music expanded and was able to maintain business during a recession in the 1980s and the growth of new competition, the big box stores such as Mars Music. Years later he sold the business to Brook Mays. John also served on the NAMM Board beginning in 1990.