DJ Grandmaster Caz is the pioneering DJ also known as the Cassanova Fly who played a role in the early development of Hip Hop in his hometown of the Bronx in New York. While Caz is best ...
DJ Jazzy Joyce, born in the Bronx, grew up in the era that ushered in the Hip Hop movement of dance, culture and music beginning in local parks. Joyce developed her style with her strong...
DJ Johnny Juice is perhaps best known for his work on such records as “Rebel Without a Pause” with Public Enemy and “Musica Negra” with Rob Swift. The musical integrity of his contributi...
DJ Rockin Rob, from the Mott Haven section of the Bronx, was spinning records in the early days of Hip Hop, perfecting what has been a very important element to DJing, the art of showmans...
Brian Donaldson is an exuberant cheerleader for NAMM’s Museum of Making Music, where he volunteers as a docent. He joined the team in 2016 and can often be found leading tours, jamming wi...
David Doucet recalls the day his older brother, Michael, left for school. David dashed to pick up Michael’s guitars and taught himself to play. His passion grew the more he listened to ar...
Lamont Dozier was one of the most successful songwriters in popular music history. From 1962-1967 he teamed with Brian and Eddy Holland to write a string of impressive hit records for Mo...
Doyle Dykes is not only one of his generation’s greatest guitar pickers; he is also an incredible human being. Doyle’s career as a guitar player led him to sessions with his hero, Chet At...
Yvonne Fimbres recalls with a smile the lullabies her mother sang to her as a baby. Music has always played an important role in her life. As she developed her own vocal skills, Yvonne wa...
Little Willie G. sang in one of the most successful bands to come out of East Los Angeles in the early 1960s, Thee Midniters. Willie G (the G stands for Garcia) was always proud of his cu...
Charlie Gracie was an early Rockabilly performer who recorded three charted songs in a single year, 1957, right in the heart of the golden era of rock and roll. His biggest hit "Butterfl...
Billy Grammer formed his own guitar company after years of playing country music in and around Nashville. Billy recorded several hit records on his own as well as playing behind some of t...
Bob Greene made a name for himself as he expanded the legacy of Jelly Roll Morton. Growing up in New York and playing piano from an early age, Bob became a well-known jazz performer whose...
George Gruhn is without question one of the top experts of vintage guitars on the planet! George collected guitars before opening the world renowned Gruhn Guitar Shop in Nashville, TN in ...
James Hall saw his sister’s flute and wondered if he could make one out of glass. He bought a glass tube from his university’s science supply and used his brother’s blow torch to make fin...
Ellis Hall is a man of many talents. This singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, actor, and composer may have lost his sight at the young age of 18, but he quickly found inspiration by...
Ellen Harper Verdries grew up in a music store! Her parents, Dorothy and Charles Chase, formed their first store in Massachusetts before moving to Southern California in 1958. The Folk Mu...
Malcom Holman and his twin brother, Martin, began playing music together at an early age. Encouraged by their father, the two, sometimes playing with his older brother Jonathan, formed se...
Herb Holt has thoroughly enjoyed his life in music, both as a musician and as a sales rep! In 1968 he formed the Music Marketing Company to represent the Ovation Guitar line in Minnesota...
Isaac Horn finds his musical direction deeply rooted in his heritage, tracing back to his great-grandfather, whose cherished Martin acoustic guitar has profoundly influenced his career. G...
Garth Hudson sat down at the piano and played several classical works as the NAMM Oral History crew set up the camera and lights. He began by playing, stopping every once in a while, to r...
Marlene Hutchinson has come up with several clever ways to encourage people to become music makers. With an emphasis on fun and ease, she had such success with her own guitar students tha...
Chad Huval puts a whole lot of Creole heritage into his playing. Born in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, he received his first accordion from his father as a child. As he grew and developed his...
Carl Janelli played several instruments but was most fond of the saxophone. He began his career during the big band era and performed with Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey before embarking on a won...
Rebecca Jasso was just ten when she began playing guitar, and right from the start making up songs came naturally to her. She developed both skills over the years, learning classical guit...
Ella Jenkins earned the title The First Lady of Children's Folk Songs and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for her dedication to bringing music to children. She began collecting and w...
David Jenson spent his early childhood in Southern California and was inspired early on by The Beach Boys and surf rock, but began his musical journey in earnest after moving to Utah and ...
Leita Jolly was celebrating her 100th birthday the week she was interviewed in 2003. On the occasion, she played the piano for her friends with her ragtime flare. In 1917, while World War...
Laurence Juber, like so many kids in the 1960s, began playing guitar soon after hearing the Beatles for the first time. He couldn’t dream that one day his talents as a guitarist would all...
Bill Kaman served as president of Kaman Music Corporation, a company started by his father. Under Bill’s direction, Kaman Music expanded its product line, developed overseas markets, and ...
Sanjiro Kawamorita was drafted into the Japanese Army during World War II. He served under Shigeru Kawai who hired Kawamorita-San and other soldiers from his unit after the war. He remain...
Bill Kilpatrick radiates an unwavering commitment to both the craft of musical arrangement and the preservation of its storied heritage. From the tender age of nine, when he first cradled...
