Mark Altekruse, like so many passionate members of the music industry, specifically remembers the lessons he learned from one of his earliest and most influential music instructors. Tromb...
Gary Baker watched the Beatles perform on the Ed Sullivan Show along with his brother. The two became so engrossed by music that his brother bought Gary a Silver Tone Guitar from Sears. T...
Herschel Blankenship’s love for music all began when he saw Buddy Holly on the Ed Sullivan show as a kid. It sparked his interest and led him down a path filled with performing and tourin...
Clora Bryant was billed as the female Louie Armstrong in the era of the Ed Sullivan variety show. Her raspy-voiced imitations were a big favorite among viewers but the gimmick often over-...
Tony Buffalo retired in 2023 after a distinguished career as a district manager for Guitar Center. His father was a trumpet player and leader of a swing band called Vito Buffalo & His...
Joe Carducci remembers with a smile sitting in front of his parents black and white television set on a Sunday evening in February when he watched the Beatles storm America on the Ed Sull...
Jim Collins was given a Silvertone Guitar by his dad following the Beatle’s appearance on the Ed Sullivan television program, an event he still recounts with enthusiasm. Jim took a day jo...
Lew DiTommaso was a key member in Daddy’s Junky Music for many years and built a reputation on honest and passion driven hard work. That passion for Lew started when he first heard the B...
Rob Gottfried, known as "Rob the Drummer," was born into a musical legacy, inspired by his father's performances with swing era icons like Paul Whiteman and Bunny Barigan. Influenced by T...
Jerry Grote grew up in Minnesota and began playing guitar after seeing the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964. As a high school student, Jerry began visiting local music st...
Doug Hake was one of countless kids whose life was forever changed after watching the Beatles perform on the Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964. From that moment, Doug knew he wanted to pl...
John C. Hall’s father purchased a guitar company from Adolph Rickenbacker, who was a cousin of the famed fighter pilot, Eddie Rickenbacker. The Rickenbacker Guitar Company made and sold H...
Ed Hamrick enjoyed playing the drums ever since he saw the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. From that moment on, he played drums and in the early 1970s established his own drum sh...
Jerry Hovey grew up in a musical home as his father was a professional drummer. Jerry’s own love for music began at an early age but it wasn’t until he saw the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan...
Doug Kershaw is the wild man of Cajun music who has been a powerful ambassador for the musical style around the world for many decades. His passion and high energy performances gained the...
Billy J. Kramer took part in the British Invasion, coming to America and performing a number of his hit songs on the Ed Sullivan Show, just like four of his friends from Liverpool did a f...
Tim Miller was watching The Ed Sullivan Show when the Beatles came on and changed his life. From that moment on, he wanted to play drums! Tim’s very supportive father drove him to lessons...
Scotty Moore set a date and time on July 4, 1954, to get together with a young singer who wanted to record with Sam Philips at Sun Records in Memphis. Sam asked Scotty, who had recorded w...
Menzie Pittman is the founder and owner of Contemporary Music Center located in Virginia. Menzie was inspired to to pursue music after he saw The Beatles perform live on Ed Sullivan. Afte...
Steve Porcaro vividly recalls watching the Beatles perform on the Ed Sullivan television program in February 1964 and having the sense that his life would never be the same. After forming...
Specs Powell played jazz drums during the hey-day of 52nd Street in New York City. He worked hard -- sometimes four gigs a night -- playing behind such legends as Billie Holiday, John Kir...
Drew Schlesinger started playing organ after seeing The Doors on The Ed Sullivan Show. While in college, Drew purchased his first Moog synthesizer and attended the Boston School of Electr...
Mark Schulman remembers seeing The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show when he was three. The moment he saw Ringo something resonated within him and he knew what he wanted to do. Mark...
