Victor Himbaugh

Victor Himbaugh was still a teenager when he purchased used instruments and sound systems from newspaper ads just to clean them up and resell them out of his mother’s basement. He took violin lessons in the sixth grade and later switched to bass and played in the local Youth Symphony. By the time he was an early teen he knew musical gear was his passion. With a focus on electronics, Victor latched onto the Shure Voice Master PA System and began renting the units to local clubs and bands. In 1973 he joined the owners of the Doo Wop Shop in Louisville, just a year after the music store opened. He soon was able to buy out one of the founders and over the years as one by one the founders left the store, Victor eventually became the sole owner. The business expanded to three locations, thanks to the business skills of his wife Shirley. When he retired their son Bill took over as president and their daughter Mary heads Human Resources. Among Victor’s favorite memories of his long career in music was running the sound for the Father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe.