Sherry Kampe was hired to join the Mississippi Music team about the same time as her lifelong friend Rosi Johnson. The two played a big role in adapting new technology over the years to a...
Wes Lee can recall music in his home as far back as he can remember. His father was an award-winning band director and jazz musician. Like his father, Wes first started playing trumpet, b...
Cathy Watkins worked for Mississippi Music for over 35 years! Although she spent much of her time in the Purchasing Department, Cathy played a vital role in the organization’s Wholesale D...
Carl Johnston is the store manager for the Hattiesburg location of Mississippi Music. His family ran a local grocery store for which Carl credits for instilling his belief in the importan...
Tim Miller was watching The Ed Sullivan Show when the Beatles came on and changed his life. From that moment on, he wanted to play drums! Tim’s very supportive father drove him to lessons...
Rhonda Beleck feels privileged to be among the very few who get to know each employee of Mississippi Music’s four locations. Overseeing the 401(k) and benefits programs for the company, R...
Sue Howard was hired in 1984 to serve as Jimmy Johnson’s secretary at Mississippi Music. Mr. Johnson, who formed the chain of retail stores with his wife, Mac, in the 1940s was serving as...
Anthony Everette recalls with a smile the day Jimmy Johnson hired him in 1982 to help with the wholesale division of Mississippi Music. The division, Eagle Distributors, was an important ...
Shane Henker has always been drawn to musical instruments, first as a player and later as a repair technician. While serving in the US Marine Corps, Shane played in the Army Reserve Band ...
Chris Barker’s grandfather played the piano and made sure each of his grandchildren had a piano in their homes as well as the opportunity to take lessons. Chris was inspired by Elvis Pres...
Brenda Lust has spent much of her 20+ year career at Mississippi Music solving problems. With a background in accounting, Brenda came to Mississippi Music in 1992 working her way from the...
Ashley Johnson is the daughter of Rosi and Dex Johnson and the granddaughter of the founders of Mississippi Music, Mac and Jimmy. Ashley shared many of her favorite memories of growing up...
Bix Johnson’s parents started a small retail business out of their home following World War II, which grew into the multi-chain of stores for Mississippi Music. Bix grew up in the busines...
Barry Jones joined Mississippi Music in April 1977 serving as the delivery man for Peavey’s Melody Music in Meridian. The store was later moved to the local mall and rebranded with Missis...
Liz Jones joined Mississippi Music in August 1977 when the company was operating Peavey’s Melody Music in Meridian. Her husband, Barry, was hired a few months earlier to make deliveries f...
Bill Richardson played drums and his brother played guitar growing up in Canton, Mississippi. His drum kit came together very slowly, first a Ludwig part, then something from Slingerland ...
Marc Johnson was a band director for 27 years and in retirement felt he could help the younger generation of directors. While working for Mississippi Music as a school road rep, Marc has ...
CD Hagan was always a believer in the benefits of the social aspects of being involved in a school band program. While playing in his college band, he met his wife and while teaching band...
Luroy Hart was in the ninth grade when his family moved to Jackson, Mississippi. His father was a preacher and filled the home with music. Luroy picked up the bass horn and tuba with drea...
Duncan Goff was a band director in Mississippi for 33 years. His first teaching job, at a junior high school, showed Duncan he was in the right line of work as it was a meaningful experie...
Dawn Dixon formed Music Plus in Birmingham, Alabama with the goal of providing the same teaching opportunities for local vocalist that she was afforded. After a strong college experience ...
Lloyd Turner happily landed his first teaching job right out of college as band director for Madison Central High School in Jackson, Mississippi in 1966. The job cemented in Lloyd’s mind ...
Sam Hart’s father was a preacher who sang with his siblings as the Hart Brothers. Sam grew up surrounded by music and was encouraged to join the school band in the sixth grade. In 1975, a...
Donna Reed wanted to continue to provide music lessons even after retiring from teaching in a traditional school setting. After 30 years as a music education teacher in the public schools...
Terry Hart is well known at Mississippi Music for her expert saxophone repair skills. Students and professional musicians from around the state (and sometimes outside of Mississippi too) ...
Richie Jones Jr. began playing drums professionally when he was 12 years old for teen clubs and skating rinks. While gigging, he developed skills in production and worked for Morris Broth...
Jason Stanfield has always enjoyed finding new and funny sounds, which means he really enjoyed the synthesizer developments of the 1990s! He worked for Mississippi Music in Hattiesburg, M...
Michael Guillot has applied his passion for music and education to the music retail segment of the industry, which has led to assisting and influencing retailers throughout the world. O...
John Allegrezza began working in the piano business in 1957 and soon discovered he had a real passion for the business and the people. In 1981 he opened his store, Allegrezza Pianos, in ...
DW Caffey was very young when he found himself enamored with the piano. In 1940, when he was just fifteen years old, DW taught himself how to tune pianos. He read a book and asked an ol...
Allen Riley served as the district sales manager for the Baldwin Piano Company. Allen learned guitar as a child and continues to play music. He became a Minister for several years befor...
William Dollarhide was the president and co-owner, along with his wife Margaret, of Dollarhide’s Music Center in Pensacola, Florida. He grew up in a very musical family, with his mother a...
