Allee Willis wrote a number of successful songs that have become part of the fabric of pop music. Allee either wrote or co-wrote songs such as “September” by Earth Wind & Fire, the th...

Mary Jo Mennella is the president and founder of Music Asset Management, Inc. She studied trumpet in college and landed her first job in the industry working at ASCAP in New York, then Lo...

Laurie Spiegel joined Bell Labs in 1973 wanting to explore what digital computers could offer for musical composition beyond what she'd been able to do with traditional acoustic, written ...

Desmond Child is the songwriter behind such hit collaborations as "Livin' On a Prayer" with Bon Jovi, "Dude Looks Like a Lady" with Aerosmith, and "Livin’ La Vida Loca" for Ricky Martin. ...

Don McLean walked into the House of Music in New Rochelle, New York as a kid dreaming of owning a Martin Guitar.  When he finally owned one, that instrument assisted him in writing severa...

Stevie Wonder has earned the title of the "Mayor of the NAMM Show" for his countless visits to the show floor over the years.  He has become an important part of the music products indust...

Graham Nash has been an outspoken advocate for music education, especially with regards to programs that provide instruments to young students.  He has often mocked the thinking that allo...

Pat Alger formed his own music publishing company in Nashville after writing several hit songs.  His tune "Thunder Rolls" was a big hit for Garth Brooks,  and other songs have been record...

Steve Cropper became an integral part of the Stax Studio sound in Memphis as guitarist, songwriter and producer. He was a member of the studio's house band, the Mar-Keys as well as Booker...

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 ...

Smokey Robinson!  The man changed popular music!  He brought a common, streetwise approach to his lyrics, which were embraced by millions of people the world over who related to his messa...

Verdine White has become a close friend to the NAMM family thanks to his dedication to music education and music advocacy programs around the world.  He has supported the efforts to keep ...

Kenneth Gamble was singing and playing the guitar in a band he formed in Philly when he first met his future songwriting partner, Leon Huff.  The two discovered they had the same goals of...

Leon Huff cut his teeth in the recording studios as a session player in the 1950s before meeting Kenneth Gamble.  The two became one of the most prolific and successful songwriting and re...

Alan Bergman and his wife Marilyn are among the most celebrated songwriting team of their time (and anyone else’s).  They began writing together in the early 1950s and wrote the lyrics fo...

Marilyn Bergman grew up very close to her future husband in Brooklyn, New York.  This may provide some insight into their magical partnership both as a couple and as one of the most celeb...

Larry Dunn played a key role in the success of the legendary group Earth, Wind & Fire!  As the keyboardist for the group he added new sounds in the innovative era of electronic musica...

Wayland Holyfield wrote several popular songs for both popular and country artists during a career that began singing in church as a child out in Conway County, Arkansas.  He wrote such c...

Paul Williams is the actor turned songwriter who penned several of the most popular songs since the late 1960s.  His hits include "Rainy Days and Mondays", "We've Only Just Begun" and the...

Linda Moran has enjoyed a long and successful career in the music business and is known for her friendships and nurturing attitude towards those starting out in music. When Linda "retired...

Larry Richmond's grandfather was a sheet music distributor in New York during the golden era of sheet music sales in the 1920s and 30s.  Larry’s father, having grown up in the business, d...

Pete Seeger was the American folk icon who made it a personal goal to bring peace to the world by getting people to sing!  His role in the folk music movement, beginning in the 1930's, fo...

Leon Russell was the noted musician and songwriter who contributed greatly to popular and rock music during his long career.  As a studio musician, Leon was active in the development of t...

Lamont Dozier was one of the most successful songwriters in popular music history.  From 1962-1967 he teamed with Brian and Eddy Holland to write a string of impressive hit records for Mo...

Jack Tempchin remembers buying his first harmonica at Ozzie’s Music in San Diego at the height of Bob Dylan’s influence as a performer and songwriter. Along with other influences, Jack fo...

Johnny Mandel brought his unique talents as a composer and arranger from jazz clubs to the big screen during a brilliant career that spanned over 60 years! As a songwriter, he spent sever...

Whispering Bill Anderson began his music career as a songwriter penning the 1958 hit “City Lights” for Ray Price. Within a few years Bill was encouraged to sing some of his songs in his l...

Hal David followed in the footsteps of his older brother Mack, who penned several popular songs in the 1930s and 40s. Hal worked hard to learn the craft and spent many years in and around...

Tom T. Hall loved telling a good old country story, you know the ones with a twist at the end and plenty of references to beer and fishin’. When he set those stories to music he helped la...

Don Schlitz likes to tell the story about how he was in the right place at the right time when his song, “The Gambler,” was recorded by Kenny Rogers in 1978. The truth is, if that was Don...

Tabitha Fair grew up singing in her father's church in Oklahoma. She discovered at an early age songwriting and formed Avalon, a highly successful Contemporary Christian group with some o...

Mike Stoller always had musical ideas as a kid but never felt complete as a songwriter until he met Jerry Leiber. Together Leiber and Stoller redefined R&B and Rock & Roll with a ...