Oral History Interviews

Tom Getzen is president of the horn company his father established in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. The Getzen Company is world renowned for the hand-made products such as trumpets and trombones and has introduced several innovative improvements to the instruments over the years. Tom’s father also helped create the National Association of Band Instrument Repair Technicians (NAPBIRT), which for decades has sought to create standards in band instrument care and provide training classes and a monthly newsletter devoted to helping the repair techs.

Midge Ure was on stage for the two largest musical events in the World! As co-founder of Live Aid in 1985 and Live 8 in 2005, Midge created the venue to raise millions of dollars to feed the hungry all over the planet. In 1984, he wrote what became the anthem to this cause, “Feed the World, Do They Know it’s Christmas?” With words of encouragement, Midge spoke to the future music maker by saying, “Each one of us can make a difference.”  

Emilio Castillo plays second tenor sax, as well as providing background and lead vocals for the band he help establish in 1968 called Tower of Power! The year before Emilio formed a band called the Motowns, which became Tower of Power after meeting Stephen “Doc” Kupka. They began writing original songs together and landed several top hits including “You’re Still a Young Man” (1972), “Down to the Nightclub” (1973), “What is Hip?” (1974) and a dozen albums such as Back on the Streets, released in 1979 

Billy Everitt grew up in the music industry beginning with weekend jobs at his father’s retail business in Dallas. Billy attended his first TMEA (Texas Music Educators Association) annual meeting in 1969 and ever one since. He became president of Brook Mays, the music retail chain formed in 1901. Billy became an important industry leader and served on several boards including NASMD and as the NAMM President from 1993 to 1995. During his years on the NAMM Board he assisted with establishing the NAMM Foundation’s Museum of Making Music, the NAMM Oral History program and moving the N

Catherine Poruba and Barbara Gard are the only children of former NAMM CEO William Gard (1915-1987). Mr. Gard’s legacy is strongly remembered and archived by the people who worked with him over his long career. His daughters added vital background facts and family stories behind the man who built NAMM back up after World War II and took the association into the convention halls and early computer age. Catherine worked with her father in the Chicago office for three years beginning in 1966 and offered insight on his strong relationships with his employees as well as the leaders of

Marvin Lamb was looking for a job in 1958 and found an opening at the Gibson
Guitar Company in Kalamazoo.  “This was right at the time of the boom in the
industry and it was a great time to get started.”  A year later he meet
James Deurloo and along with J. P. Moats, they stayed with Gibson until the
company was sold and moved to Nashville.  At the time all three friends
outlined an idea of creating their own guitar company, but keep it in the
same building with the same attention to details and craftsmanship.  In
1985, the Heritage Guitar Company was formed and all three men are

Gary Kahler had an idea to add improvements to the electric guitar when he started playing in the 1960s. Over the years he developed a tremolo system that provided different sounds and adjustments to the instrument. He formed the Kahler Company and began manufacturing the tremolo bridge system that he designed. Over the years he has made many improvements to the product and expanded the line to include other gears and knobs for the guitar lover.  

William Gerien is the industrial and mechanical engineer who invented the Kahler Tremolo Bridge System for the electric guitar. Gary Kahler hired William to follow his design on a new system to add a tremolo or whammy bar to the guitar’s bridge. William machined the very first prototype and created the process for manufacturing the now famous bridge system. He later established his own company, Merlin 5, and worked with several guitar builders such as Fender to machine parts for their electronic instruments, all the while keeping a close working relationship with Gary Kahler.  

Don Gayle served as a technical writer for Shure for three decades, after a long and distinguished career as a professor of literature. While at Shure, Don’s language skills were key to the quality of materials for instructing customers in the use of each product. These materials remain a well-respected component of the company. His NAMM Oral History interview was completed on July 25, 2005. 

Barbara Gard and Catherine Poruba are the only children of former NAMM CEO William Gard (1915-1987). Mr. Gard’s legacy is strongly remembered and archived by the people who worked with him over his long career. His daughters added vital background facts and family stories behind the man who built NAMM back up after World War II and took the association into the convention halls and early computer age. Catherine worked with her father in the Chicago office for three years beginning in 1966 and offered insight on his strong relationships with his employees as well as the leaders of

Steven Fry pioneered electronic cataloging as a music librarian for UCLA. He brought his love of music and people together when he revived the then-fading Southern California chapter of the Music Library Association. The chapter was formed in 1947, however, when its founders retired and passed away, the organization declined in membership numbers and thus activities. Steven brought his passion to the chapter and grew it up to a now important part of the music library field. After retiring from UCLA he got back into his other passion, making music!  

John Fry was the founder of Ardent Records and a noted recording engineer with a special talent for sound mixing and studio sound control. The results of his efforts are enough to fill several walls with gold and platinum records from the likes of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Led Zeppelin. John was also a devoted Christian who saw the need to produce quality Christian rock music in an era before it was a large musical category or commercial success. His pioneer recordings using his engineering talents are well noted within the industry. His list of admirers seems to be an ever growing l

Jerry Freed began working in the music industry along with Tommy Moore. Together they promoted percussive instruments for schools and built Kasuga International in the 1960s. Jerry later created Freed International before deciding to concentrate on instrument case products. When he launched Gator Cases some questioned the market size, however, Jerry rose to the occasion in true Freed fashion by growing the market with a series of specialized cases both hard and soft side, rarely available in the industry at the time.

Gary Forkum had the idea of setting up a small percussion display in the back closet of Corner Music where he was working. The drum department grew so much that Corner Music owner Larry Garris and Gary decided it might be best if he opened his own drum store. Gary opened Fork’s Drum Closet in Nashville, TN, and soon became an important part of percussive retailing in the area. Gary is a member of the Five-Star Drum Shop Marketing Group and became a NAMM Board member in 2008. 

French Forbes II is the grandson of the founder of the Forbes Piano and Organ Company. Ernest Erastus Forbes formed the company in 1889 by selling pianos from the back of his horse-drawn carriage. His son oversaw the Birmingham, Alabama-based company during the Great Depression and French II put the company back on track following World War II, a time when pianos were hard to come by until the manufacturers were able to re-establish their production.

Dave Fletcher was born into a music family. His father developed the Fletcher Music Centers and his brother Robert (a NAMM Past President) expanded the business along with Dave to become one of the most significant forces in piano and organ sales in the decades following the great organ boom of the 1970s. With time spent working for Wurlitzer, Dave understands the keyboard business and has played an important role over the last 30 years in developing a market that focuses on retired individuals.  

Larry Fishman had an idea to create an electronic pick up for the upright string bass. The task was not an easy one. In fact, others had tried and failed to produce the correct balance of electronic tones within the range of the strings. However, Fishman was able to do just that. The success of the pickups led to a host of other products based on his earlier ideas, and soon the Fishman Transducer Company was born. A follow-up interview was completed in 2014 (see video clip) during the NAMM Show.  

Herbert Fischbach spent his entire working career in the design and crafting of brass musical instruments. As was the tradition in the German village of Markneukirchen, Herbert studied the fine craftsmanship that was handed down from generation to generation, and then handed down his techniques to the next generation. While a member of the JA Musik team, he contributed to the modification and design of several models over his long career. He passed away in the Summer of 2015.  

Roy Fawcett was very successful when it came to thinking outside of the box. Unlike most retailers, Roy has not advertised his products and services in the yellow pages or in the newspaper. In fact, Roy didn't even have a sign outside of his store. Roy built his entire business on the recommendation of other customers. The Fawcett Piano and Organ Company located in Winchester, Ontario, Canada, served churches and schools as well as private homes beginning in the late 1940s. His dedication to customer service also explain why so many of his customers were his close friends. 

Michael Faulhaber has successfully carried on the legacy of his father who was the early passion behind Ward-Brodt Music Company in Wisconsin. The store has earned an important place in the history of the industry for a string of unique programs and product lines over the years, but may be best known for its people. The Faulhaber family has always supported music making events such as the American Music Conference (AMC) and industry organizations such as the Retail Print Music Dealers Association (RPMDA), the National Association of School Music Dealers (NASMD), and NAMM.

Janet Faulhaber always had a special interest in the sheet music department of the Ward-Brodt Music Company in Wisconsin. Janet and her husband purchased the store and expanded the product line and involvement in community music programs for several decades. When their son, Mick, returned home after his military service they were proud he wanted to work in the family business.

Larry Fast is best known as the innovative keyboardist and synthesizer composer who helped bring electronic musical instruments into pop music, beginning in the 1970s. His Synergy series of synthesizer music albums beginning in 1975 brought great popularity to the instruments, which were being invented and improved by the likes of Moog, ARP and Oberheim. In later years Larry played a key role in many of Peter Gabriel’s recordings as well as those with Foreigner. 

Don Eubanks made a lot of friends in the music business! His honesty and humor endeared him to many over the years, but perhaps what set Don apart from others was his willingness to try something new. When he had the chance to buy the Symmes Music Store in Chamblee, Georgia, he decided to try something new. When the industry was in need of an organization that could bring music print retailers together with publishers, he decided to try something new. And whenever Don had the chance to mentor others interested in the business he did all he could to help, which was nothing new, but

LaRoy Edwards was the celebrated piano technician who began his long association with Yamaha back in 1961, the year before the company officially entered the United States market. Along the way he helped create the bond assurance program for retailers to track customer satisfaction, and the Little Red School House program for piano tuner training on new products. LaRoy was the first person to receive the Yamaha Life Time Achievement Award, an honor that was deeply meaningful to him.  

William Dunkley and his wife Dorothy co-founded Dunkley Music Stores in Boise, Idaho. In addition to taking the trade of organ and piano sales out of the store and into the truck to their customers, the Dunkley’s were widely known in the industry as great advocates of music making. Along with a long list of local and national music-related charities, they have contributed to the growth of the music products industry on several levels. William’s love for aircraft and their annual flights to the NAMM show are also legendary within the industry.  

Dorothy Dunkley co-founded Dunkley Music Stores in Boise, Idaho, with her husband Bill. She took over the store while Bill was on the road selling pianos door to door in the early years of the store. The Dunkley’s were widely known in the industry as great advocates of music making. Along with a long list of local and national music-related charities, they have contributed to the growth of the music products industry on several levels. Dorothy attended all but one NAMM Show with her husband, helped plan ladies' functions while Bill was on the NAMM Board of Directors and still mana

Earl Dummer played his flattop Martin guitar during the folk music boom of the 1960s as part of the Shenandoah Trio. The group toured with Jimmy Rodgers among others and recorded for Billy Vaughan at DOT Records. Earl was greatly influenced by jazz great Barney Kessel who provided lessons for Earl and some sound advice. Earl was encouraged to listen closely to other players and add his own personal style to form a unique approach to his playing. Barney also suggested that Earl form his own group, which resulted in the Shenandoah Trio and several long playing albums for DOT.  

Michael Doughty can speak of the history of the British music industry more than most. After all, it was his father and his grandfather before him who first started selling musical instruments over 100 years ago. As president of Stentor Music Company, Mr. Doughty recalled his teen years and the many changes in the industry he witnessed first hand. Later in his career, he became a pillar in the Music Instrument Association (MIA) and its efforts to run a successful trade show. Today the British Music Industry is larger in members and stronger in its ability to promote music making a

Irmgard Dittmar has been a part of the music products industry her whole life. Her father was a noted trumpet builder and designer, and she has worked for the Schreiber music company for nearly 40 years. Over the years she has served as President Hugo Schreiber’s assistant and in doing so has gained great insight into the industry.   Irmgard has been a passionate and energetic supporter of this important archive program, providing contact information, historical details and even acting as interpreter during several interviews.  

James Deurloo walked through the old Gibson workshop, which is now the home of his company, the Heritage Guitar Company.  Pointing proudly to a workstation in the middle of the old building, “that was my first workbench.  I learned every skill on the line and had wonderful teachers.  The old men on the line when I was a kid were happy to share what they knew, and I still use all those skills.  That is why the name ‘heritage’ was the perfect name of our company.”