Jim Crockett

Jim Crockett was the first official editor of Guitar Player magazine, having been hired by founder Bud Eastman four years after the magazine began. Bud and Maxine Eastman owned Guitar Showcase, a music retail store in San Jose, California. Guitar Player was originally created to help drive business to the store, but it soon grew into a publication with its own identity, thanks in large part to Jim Crockett’s leadership. He later went on to create Keyboard, Bass Player, and Drums & Drumming, expanding his lasting influence on music publishing.