Jim Kaplan and his longtime partner, Jim Botti, were both respected band directors in Pittsburgh-area schools, where they taught and mentored countless students who benefited from their m...
Toshio Akiyama was an internationally renowned figure, widely known for his contributions as the “father of the Japanese wind bands.” After receiving his education at the prestigious East...
Gordon Goodwin’s incredible musical journey as a musician, bandleader, composer, and arranger could be traced back to the influence of Count Basie. Basie led a big band during the swing e...
Ken Dattmore was the Marketing Manager for Yamaha’s strings department, a role that reflected his lifelong passion for the music products industry. He began his career with the William Le...
Steve Cropper became an integral part of the Stax Studio sound in Memphis as a guitarist, songwriter, and producer. He was a member of the studio’s house band, the Mar-Keys, as well as Bo...
Sam Tritico spent over five decades as a respected and well-loved music retailer, dedicated to helping musicians find their perfect sound. His love for music began as a child when his sis...
Phil Upchurch was a teenager when he joined the solid studio musicians at Chess Records in Chicago. The seasoned veterans took Phil under their wings, showed him the ropes, and embraced t...
Walt Aldridge attended the University of Alabama as a business major before transferring to the University of North Alabama to enroll in its music business program, drawn in part by the s...
Harry Sparks was the founder of the Famous Old Time Music Company in Cincinnati, Ohio. He grew up during the folk and bluegrass era of the 1960s and joined a band at a young age. Over the...
Yukio Ohashi was the chairman of one of Japan’s leading musical instrument distributors, Prima Gakki. The company was established in 1945 as a sheet-music distributor and wholesaler. Over...
Gerhilde Benker served as president of Höfner Music, the company founded by her grandfather Karl Höfner in 1864 in Eger, Germany. A pioneering woman in the music products industry, she le...
Donna Jean Godchaux was the only female singer to perform and record with the Grateful Dead, joining the band in 1971 and remaining with them through 1979. As the group’s first female voc...
Jack DeJohnette was truly a drummer’s drummer — admired by his peers and celebrated by jazz fans around the world. His innovative approach, blending subtlety with power and creativity wit...
Tom Szerencse worked his way up to an Engineering Group Manager overseeing Crown International’s design prototyping efforts. In the mid 80’s his team worked with the Marketing department ...
Tsunesaburo Kurosawa had a deep passion for instrument building and became one of Japan’s leading classical guitar luthiers. The success of his guitars led him to establish a showcase for...
Rollie Bunn worked at Taylor Music in Aberdeen, South Dakota, when he was growing up and in fact returned to the store to work full time after attending Northern State Teacher’s College. ...
Ken Parker began building guitars and basses—first for his brother and then for other players—in the early 1970s. He fell in love with archtops and became one of the most respected and in...
Sonny Curtis is thought to be the first person to have recorded a rock and roll song using the Fender Stratocaster. The recording date took place in Nashville with his friend Buddy Holly...
Mike Wofford enjoyed a long and acclaimed career in music. As a jazz pianist, Mike performed with many legends including Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Carter, Quincy Jones, Shelly Manne, Zoot Si...
Alfred Loib was a devoted musician, businessman, and friend to many in the music products industry. After beginning his career as a banker in Germany, Alfred followed his heart and opened...
Gary Myers was known within the music industry for his decades of retail service in Southern California, beginning in the 1980s with Sherman Clay. To record fans, he was best recognized f...
Will Alexander was a pioneering synthesizer engineer and musician whose work helped shape modern electronic music. Beginning in the 1970s, he worked for Oberheim during the height of the ...
Walfredo Reyes Sr. was a Cuban-born percussionist celebrated around the world for his distinctive and influential style of playing. He was also admired as the father of two outstanding pe...
Bob Lynch was a pioneering independent representative during a pivotal era when many manufacturers were phasing out inside reps. A lifelong musician, he began playing trumpet at an early ...
Russell Hill first met Ziggy Coyle in 1957 when the famed retailer hired him to help manage the business side of the company. Ziggy and Russ made a wonderful team—while Ziggy was out perf...
Sara Michaelson grew up in the music store her father, Frank Hessy, established in Liverpool, England in the late 1950s. Hessy’s Music was THE store in town to find all of the local bands...
Richard Carlson spoke in a soft and sincere tone when he described the family atmosphere of working at Wurlitzer in DeKalb, Illinois. Dick joined the company—famous for proclaiming “Wurli...
Katie Wheeler was an early volunteer of the NAMM Foundation’s Museum of Making Music in the NAMM headquarters in Carlsbad, California. Her docent experience with the museum gave Katie th...
Alan Bergman and his wife Marilyn were 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 f...
Marshall B. Hawkins was the first African American to lead a US Navy band. He was also the first African American to serve not once, but four times, as president of the Piano Technician’s...
Dorsey Wheeler attributed some of the success of his music store to the training and ongoing support he received from companies such as Peavey Electronics and Cannonball Musical Instrumen...
Larry Moudy sang and played guitar for the musical group Up With People beginning in 1967. After being drafted and serving in the Vietnam War with the 101st Airborne, he returned to the g...
