CG Conn

Harvey Becker began working for CG Conn in Elkhart, Indiana and later worked for Armstrong, which later became Selmer then Conn-Selmer.  He has witnessed many changes in the industry; the largest in his view have been the CNC machines and computers, although his skills and craftsmanship are still a very important part of the process of making quality musical instruments!

Richard Boynton had many fond memories of the music industry. His grandfather was once the owner of CG Conn Musical Instruments in Elkhart, Indiana. In fact, Mr. Greenleaf purchased the company from Colonel Conn in 1915 and developed many of the practices that allowed the company to endure the Great Depression, participating in building for the war effort in the 1940s and helped strengthen music educational programs after the war! Richard proudly worked in the company from the mid-1950s until 1972, when he formed a musical instrument transport business.

Lewis Brown joined the CG Conn Company in 1941 working in the band instrument assembly department. Less than two years later he was drafted to serve the United States during World War II. When he returned to Elkhart his job was waiting for him. He soon gained experience with the building of French Horns and stayed in that position from 1946 until 1971 when Conn closed. Lewis stayed in Elkhart to work for Selmer, Bach and the Blessing’s Band Repair Shop where he once again focused on French Horns but also worked on all other types of band and orchestral instruments.

Ace Cannon grew up in Mississippi singing with his father on street corners and in church, and he knew even as a small child that he wanted to have a life in music.  When he was ten his father drove him to Amro Music in Memphis and let him pick out an alto saxophone by CG Conn.  Right there in the store, he played "Beer Barrel Polka".

William Cordier remembered piling in the family car for a road trip to their favorite lake northwest of their home in Ohio.  Each and every trip included a detour into Elkhart, Indiana where his father would pull over and show off the large sign announcing the "World's Biggest Musical Instrument Maker!"  Following his own career as an engineer at GE, Bill was given the opportunity to run Conn when it was owned by McMillan in the 1970s.  He soon shared his father's passion for the company and especially the people, who William thought were among the most passionate and dedicated wo

James Evans met one of his musical heroes, Louie Lee, in 1977. Mr. Lee took the time to show James techniques in playing his saxophone that greatly inspired him. Over the years he developed into a highly regarded studio musician, often recording at Malaco Records in Jackson, Mississippi. Among those he has recorded or toured with are Bobby Rush, ZZ Hill, Percy Sledge, Willie Clayton and Sam Myers. James toured with ZZ Hill just after the release of his critically acclaimed record Down Home in 1982. The two bluesmen remained friends until Mr. Hill’s passing in 1984 at the age of 48

Rocky Giglio was a pivotal leader in the development and marketing of the jj Babbitt mouthpieces product line. For years, he diligently listened to feedback from customers and professional musicians, always seeking ways to enhance their mouthpieces while upholding jj Babbitt’s renowned traditions and quality. Prior to his tenure at jj Babbitt, Rocky held a similar role at the CG Conn company in Elkhart, Indiana, for many years. He was also a staunch supporter of the NAMM Oral History program, offering invaluable advice and ideas that enriched the collection and helped document the

James Glanville was part of the team that relocated the Conn instrument manufacturing operations from Elkhart, IN to Nogales, Mexico, back in 1972. The result was a heavy blow to Elkhart, which had once been the Band Instrument Capital of the World. However, it was a needed move in order to keep the company viable in the changing world of manufacturing. James worked hard to produce quality instruments in the Nogales factory, which remained open until the early 1980s.

John Gronemeyer enjoyed his career in the school band instrument segment of the industry, which included sales positions at CG Conn, King, UMI and Jupiter Band Instruments. John worked for Danny Henkin when many of Henkin’s music companies were sold and became United Musical Instruments in 1985. John worked hard to ensure that the brand names would not suffer in the years that followed the sale of the companies, and in fact it was John who brought a great awareness of the brand to new markets.  

Danny Henkin was one of the true characters of the music products industry. He began his career with G. Leblanc Corporation and later worked as sales and marketing manager for Gemeinhardt Flutes – that is, before he bought the company. His background was in advertising and over the years he grew to understand the inner workings of the industry and the business end of those companies he worked with. By the early 1980s, Danny had owned 26 music companies including C.G. Conn, Armstrong Flutes, and King Musical Products. While owner, he also expanded the product line to include a Conn

Mary Henkin was well known in the band and orchestra business as the hostess with the mostest. Along with her husband, Danny, they put on extravagant parties that were still talked about 30 years later.  However, what many may not know is that she was half owner of all of her husband's musical instrument company endeavors. At the peak of their careers in the industry, they owned 26 music companies including CG Conn, Armstrong Flutes, King Band Instruments and Slingerland Drums.  The couple were married in 1956 while Danny was working as the ad manager for G. Leblanc.

Don Hogue worked with Dr. Kent in the C.G. Conn Research Department. The historic lab created or improved many mathematical and engineering theories used in countless musical instrument designs. Don is particularly proud of the Stroboconn, as it served as the first tool to measure the frequency of an instrument. His NAMM Oral History interview was completed on July 23, 2005. 

Jack Hyde was the classic music retailer of the 21st Century. Jack opened a store in the mid 1950s because he loved music, plain and simple. The store, in Northern California, became such a success that he soon opened a chain of Jack’s House of Music stores. His mall store at Arden Arcade in Sacramento brought band instruments, teaching and repair to the mass shopping venue, a thought that was ahead of its time. He was an unassuming salesman who preached the value of a music education and rarely put on the hard sell.

George Koregelos made a series of well-respected flutes under his name in the 1970s that was but one of his career highlights in the music products industry. After studying instrument repair at the CG Conn Company in Elkhart, Indiana, George began designing his own instruments with a focus on the flute. As is the case with many innovators, George sought to find solutions for some of the problems musicians were having, so among his creations is a successful instrument cleaning kit. 

Mari Mach spent nearly 40 years in the music industry in and around Elkhart, Indiana. She began her career in the sales department working for C. G. Conn for four years before being offered a job at the Gemeinhardt Flute Company. While at Gemeinhardt, she worked with Danny Henkin, who was then the advertising manager before he purchased the company. She later worked with Glenn Holtz who reflected back on his 20 years alongside Mari. “She was a powerful partner to me. She had an instinct as to what was going on in our business. And yes, she made me look good.”

Don Martin was 18 years old, in 1950, when he began working at CG Conn Musical Instruments in Elkhart, Indiana.

Fred Morgan was one of the few GI’s, returning home from World War II, who were accepted to the Conn School of Musical Instrument Repair the first year it started. The year was 1946 and Fred was excited to learn first hand at the factory from many of the craftsmen who built the instruments from the start. Although the school only ran for a few years it produced a large number of repairmen who set up their own shops all across the country. Fred’s Repair Shop is located north of Sacramento in Rocklin, California.  

Tom Ott began training in the tool and die business right after high school at which point he was hired by the CG Conn Company in Elkhart, Indiana to work in the factory.  Tom has been there ever since!  Tom’s work has been focused on making jigs, dies and machine tools for the process of musical instrument building and assembly.  Along the way he has also designed dies for the company and been involved with creating workflows to improve the speed of the process and the quality of the products.

Norman Pickering had a storied career. He worked as instrument designer for the legendary C.G. Conn Company in Elkhart. He also played a large role in the audio engineering field with his company, Pickering Audio, which produced record pick-ups for radio stations around the world and designed the modern phonograph cartridge. As an engineer, he also worked on airplanes and even medical ultrasound techniques, yet he was never too far from the field of musical engineering, which he loved. Norm passed away in the fall of 2015 at the age of 99. 

Bill Price was active in the band instrument business after being involved with other industries and as a result has a very unique and positive perspective on the music industry.  Bill was hired to join CG Conn by his longtime friend Bill Cordier.    Together they had an interest in purchasing the Conn Company from Macmillan Publishing but did not pursue it. Instead Danny Henkin bought the company and they worked for Danny.  Bill was assigned to oversee the King Band Instrument division, which he enjoyed.  Bill later worked for Vito Pascucci at the G. Leblanc Corp. before working

Doc Severinsen had a mighty career as Johnny Carson’s bandleader on the “Tonight Show” and as a recording artist on several important albums. He is also widely known within the music products industry for his role in perfecting the design and feel of the trumpet. Doc worked for several companies over the decades including as the Vice President for Product Development for Danny Henkin at CG Conn. His recent endeavor has been working with Bryan Autry on his own trumpet. “Bryan and I wanted to finally make a horn that we liked. I think we came up with the best trumpet made, it feels

Jack Shanholt began working for Selmer in Elkhart, Indiana in the factory.  He was proud of his training, from the veteran craftsmen at the time, which is a tradition continued to this day.  In fact, Jack has trained several younger employees over the years.  As a musician and former band member in school, Jack adds a special set of skills to the process of instrument building and assembly, a fact of which he is proud.

Denver Spence joined the music industry in 1968 after having been involved with his school marching bands and school band programs since he was in elementary school.  He worked as a school road rep for Jenkins Music in Kansas City for two years before opening his own retail store in Ada, Oklahoma.

Harold Stone served the music products industry in many ways over a long and celebrated career. After working in a music retail store (Mays Music), Harold joined the CG Conn Company where he stayed for 27 years developing a business and marketing plan as well as creating the sales training for the Conn sales school programs. Harold also worked for Leblanc and Getzen with a focus on national sales and management training. As a musician he played tuba, string bass, and trumpet, as well as singing in jazz bands, Air Force bands and even symphonic orchestras.  

Tommy Tompkins began working for CG Conn in Elkhart, Indiana right after high school.  He worked in a variety of positions within the company before his training and certification on waste water management.  Tommy, like so many of the factory workers at Conn-Selmer, enjoys working with his co-workers and being involved in making musical instruments for others to make music from.

Bill Tregoe drove over 1,300,000 miles over the 35 years that he was a sales rep for CG Conn and later King Musical Instruments. Along the way he made life long friends with many of the dealers and school directors he called on. As a trumpet student Bill took lessons at a Conn Music Store and later became a band director, serving schools mostly in Texas and Florida from 1949 until he was hired by Conn in 1962. 

Orrin Tucker’s Orchestra recorded one of the greatest successes of the big band era, “Oh Johnny Oh.” This novelty number featured the shy voice of Wee Bonnie Baker and has come to symbolize the musical era and the social climate of America during the late 1930s and early 1940s. Orrin enjoyed a full career as a bandleader and player in ballrooms and supper clubs up to the 1990s. His personality and charm led to a number of acting roles in his later years. Orrin’s NAMM Oral History interview was completed on April 25, 2003.   When Orrin passed away in April 2011 at the age of 100, h

Bob Ziems (it sounds like "seems as in Ziems it seems") was a dedicated member of the testing department at CG Conn from 1941-1971 and later with Selmer. However, it was what he did for a hobby that became most important to the NAMM Resource Center. As early as 1937, Bob took photographs of every musical company, store and even small tool shed that produced instruments in the town of Elkhart.