Kevin Ray Clark grew up with music in his home and played in a family band at church. He was inspired by the musicians playing at Disney World and pursued the trumpet in his school band p...

Kris Tokarski is a skilled jazz pianist who has helped prolong the legacies of several early musical pioneers by not only playing their compositions, but by embracing their techniques and...

Jamal Batiste grew up in a very musical family and when he saw his brother’s drum kit at 3 years old, he fell in love. Raised in New Orleans he was surrounded by what he calls the gumbo o...

Leo Nocentelli is an original member of the award-winning band The Meters. The group recorded a string of instrumental hits beginning in the 1960s, many written by Leo. Playing lead guita...

Jonathan "Sugarfoot" Moffett grew up in New Orleans and used the style he developed in clubs, starting at the age of 10, to create a unique place in music history. His first significant r...

Ray Fransen was born in New Orleans and began playing drums at an early age. He played professionally full-time for years and taught drum lessons until the birth of his first child. At th...

Johnny Vidacovich was born in New Orleans and raised by his mother and grandparents. He started playing drums when he was ten years old and would go to night clubs around New Orleans and ...

Donald Harrison Jr. was born in New Orleans to a deeply musical family steeped in all styles of music: brass bands, jazz, R&B, funk, and world music. His father was a Mardi Gras India...

Herlin Riley is a native of New Orleans and a continuing link in the chain of great jazz drummers. Herlin was raised in a musical household by his grandparents and originally played the t...

Bret Rhoades began his career in the music industry by working for Ken Stanton Music in Georgia.  Bret learned band instrument repairs while attending college, and after a short time as a...

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 ...

Terence Blanchard remembers with pride the special way Lionel Hampton coached and encouraged him.  It was his first professional gig and Hamp took the time to share with young Terence, an...

Branford Marsalis has a deep passion for music that reflects not only in his playing but his music education as well. Branford attributes his skills as a musician through dedicated practi...

Ellis Marsalis had a firm idea how to bring out the best music in people, even before his famous sons were born.  His understanding of music theory and notation became the cornerstone of ...

Ernie Vincent played a key role in expanding the role New Orleans played in music on a national and international level. As a songwriter he wrote the funk based songs "Dap Walk" as well a...

George Porter Jr. has proven himself to be one of the bedrocks that make up the foundation of the New Orleans music scene. While starting out briefly on guitar, George quickly transitione...

Allen Toussaint represented one of the quintessential New Orleans sounds. Toussaint’s compositions and songs seamlessly blend blues, jazz, ragtime, R&B, and funk to create an amalgam ...

Benny Turner grew up in a music family and after his brother, Freddie King, took him to a session with Howlin’ Wolf and Willie Dixon, he was hooked. While Benny played guitar with the Kin...

Walter “Wolfman” Washington was a staple on the New Orleans music scene since first picking up a guitar in the 1950s. After some minor corrections on technique and tuning, Wolfman hit the...

Steven Kinchen dreamed of playing music ever since he was a small child.  When he had a chance to work in the music industry following his music degree in college, Steven jumped at the ch...

Dwight Clements was working at Sears while playing music at night and on the weekends.  While visiting a local store in New Orleans, Mitchell’s Music, Dwight asked the owner if there were...

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 ...

John Wright Jr. grew up in the piano business.  His father and his uncle, Dan Hall, formed the Hall Piano Company in 1958.  The store is currently located right on David Drive in Metairie...

Deacon John Moore has been a noted studio musician in New Orleans for decades.  His performance and recordings have not only represented the New Orleans Sound over the years, he has helpe...

Gordon Pfund spent his life in the music industry that he loved. At an early age he began working for Werlein For Music in Louisiana and became enamored with the piano and organ market. H...

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 Litt...

John Thomas was the lead piano repair man for Werlein’s For Music in New Orleans. The historic music retailer, which opened for business before the Civil War and closed in 2003, had sever...

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...

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 mus...

Bitsie Werlein was the last president of the famed Werlein’s For Music in New Orleans. When its doors closed in 2003 it was the nation’s oldest operating music retailer. The company was e...