Ben Jack
Oral History Information
Ben Jack was born and raised in Arkansas, so it was no surprise that the passionate steel pedal guitarist would open up a string of successful stores in and around Fayetteville. As one of the leaders of music retailing in the state, if not the country, Ben pioneered many of the American built instruments in their heydays, such as Fender and Peavey. In fact, Ben Jack Music is the oldest Peavey dealer still selling the product today. Along with his wife, the Jack's opened a small store with guitar repair (Jack's job) and product and accessory sales up front (his wife Shirley's job). The couple's success led to a larger store and soon two more. Along the way they developed life long friends in the industry and were a welcome sight at any trade show. Ben passed away in the fall of 2009.