Duane Eddy has been a strong influence on generations of guitarists and played a key role in making instrumental songs viable as hit makers in popular music. Duane recorded several hit re...
Chan Romaro played an important part in pop music in the late 1950s and early 60s when he blended his Mexican and Native American roots with rock and roll. He wrote and recorded several ...
Rick Walters made a lasting impact on the world of classical and vocal music publishing during his remarkable career at Hal Leonard. Starting out transcribing popular sheet music, he quic...
Carle Vickers’ grandmother was a noted soprano and pianist who gave him a great appreciation for classical music as well as piano lessons. He began playing trumpet and saxophone in grade ...
Keith LeBlanc was one of the first drummers who used his funk music background to create beats that helped popularize hip-hop music. Keith was there in the beginning and while working for...
Theo Boylan hailing from a quaint town 80 miles from Chicago, cultivated her musical prowess from an early age, immersing herself in the exciting realms of piano and oboe performance. Her...
TM Stevens was a well-known character within the music industry who was respected for his design and endorsement of products as well as his mega career as a musician. TM was also beloved ...
Ralph Angelillo grew up inspired by Joe Morello. His dad was a bassist for big dance bands in the 1940s and '50s and his four brothers all played music. In 1961, at the age of 17, Ralph p...
Bob Heil received his first break into the pro audio market when the Grateful Dead’s sound system was not available for a concert date. Bob’s own powerful system was used, and a new name ...
Gladys Hayes taught choir in school for more than 25 years and was very active in vocal programs throughout her career and after her retirement. Gladys and her husband Morris retired to C...
Hirotaka Kawai was the president of the Kawai Music Corporation in Japan following in the footsteps of his grandfather, the company's founder and his father, who expanded the company afte...
Bob Boss was encouraged to pick up an instrument at a young age by his parents and quickly gravitated toward the guitar when he received his first electric guitar: a Sears Silvertone for ...
Bill Higgins enjoyed the country and hillbilly music he heard growing up. He surrounded himself with music his entire life. In 1965, Bill and his wife Nancy, opened Bill Higgins Music jus...
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 s...
Jimmy (J.M.) Van Eaton was the house drummer for a little recording company in Memphis that began one of the centers of the birth of rock’n’ roll. Sun Records was formed by Sam Philips in...
Rocky Giglio has been a strong leader in the development and marketing of the jj Babbitt mouthpieces product line. For years. Rocky has listened to customers and professional musicians fo...
Alberto Kniepkamp engineered many of the electronic organs produced by the Lowrey Organ Company in the 1970s and 80s. Alberto took an active role in the development of the MX1 Lowrey Orga...
Noel Moore was hired by the B&J wholesale company in Canada in 1951, and served the company for 53 years before his retirement. Noel came to represent the integrity and dedication to ...
Helena Armandula was a shining example of a dedicated volunteer serving at NAMM’s Museum of Making Music. In fact, in 2023, at the time of her interview, Helena was presented the Voluntee...
Martyn How is the Commercial Director or the British string company Rotosound. Martyn and his brother Jason carry on the traditions of their pioneering father who started the guitar and ...
Les McCann began his musical career playing the Sousaphone in school. He later played drums before discovering the piano, which became the vehicle that launched him into the jazz world. H...
Jim Botti always had a passion for music education and in fact taught most of his life. In 1958, after he met Jim Kaplan, the two opened a teaching studio that would grow into a music st...
Tilman Herberger was born in Leipzig to a family of music educators. At an early age, he was interested in electronics as well as music. While attending high school in socialist East Germ...
Frank Ford was beginning to build guitars and mandolins when he met Richard Johnston. The two guitar lovers decided to open a repair shop in Palo Alto, California called Gryphon Stringed...
Rocky Peoples was the saxophonist heard on hit recordings such as “Will We Go Round In Circles” and “Nothing From Nothing” by Billy Preston, as well as his own composition “Driver’s Licen...
Essra Mohawk enjoyed writing songs since she was a little girl! She learned the ability to express the feelings so many of us have about love and happiness using music. Her songs have bee...
Dave Lopez grew up in East Los Angeles and witnessed the explosive evolution of the mobile DJ, beginning in the late 1970s. During high school, Dave was asked to provide the music for a d...
John Cavanaugh and his father bought the Super-Sensitive Musical String Company in 1967 and worked long and hard to bring the products into new and international markets. John created the...
Jim Trimper, Sr. was the president of Denton, Cottier & Daniels, a chain of piano and organ stores in the upstate New York area. The company was formed in 1827 and thus has a long his...
Alan Fox’s father Hugo Fox played in the symphony orchestra in Fort Wayne, Indiana, before being drafted for service in World War I. After the war, he began making reeds and in 1923 joine...
Larry Ramirez had a fascinating career in music! As a trumpet player he landed his dream job designing instruments for many of his childhood heroes! While working for Leblanc, Larry was a...