Nirvana

Earnie Bailey was mesmerized as a kid, sitting in the front row of an Earth, Wind & Fire concert and seeing all the instruments up close! This experience inspired him to go to the library to learn all he could about guitar building and repair. While in high school Earnie made a guitar in wood shop, which led to requests from his friends to repair their instruments. While working as a repairman for music stores by day, in his off hours Earnie provided his services for free to area rock bands in exchange for concert tickets.

Ellis Sorkin’s early exposure to music came through his family’s connection to Herb Alpert, but his own curiosity and drive launched his career. At 14, watching a recording session fueled his fascination with the craft of engineering. An apprenticeship arranged by his father in 1973 set Ellis on a path that saw him working with legends like Joni Mitchell, George Harrison, and Quincy Jones at the storied A&M Studios. His expertise and connections within Los Angeles’ recording scene led him to create Studio Referral Service in 1980, a pioneering business that helped artists and