Garry Hyde opened a small music store under his parent’s house back in 1962. Having a very famous musician as a father, he asked to use his dad's name for the store. Billy Hyde was a note...
Takeshi Inomata was the noted jazz drummer who, among other things, helped design the first percussive instruments for Yamaha. His work with Yamaha took place during the early 1960s when...
George Jacob greatly enjoys creating musical products for musicians –of all levels and ages. When a customer needed a softer sound with his drum sticks, George came to the rescue and deve...
Tony James hosted the popular Disney Channel series “Out of the Box” for seven years. The show exposed the young audience to music and music making, which is why he continues to be stoppe...
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Gus Johnson played drums for several big bands and jazz ban...
Ralph Johnson joined Earth, Wind and Fire in 1972. That was an important year for the band as founder Maurice White changed the line-up to include singers Jessica Cleaves and Philip Baile...
Brock Kaericher is the President of REMO Inc. and over the last few decades he has worked closely with the company’s founder, Remo Belli. Brock has been a strong supporter in the product...
Ikuo Kakehashi’s passion for music developed early in his life. Of course, he was exposed to many innovative electronic musical instruments being the son of synthesizer pioneer and Roland...
Howard Kalisky is the president of Efkay Music Group in Lachine, Quebec, Canada. Howard's father Fred founded the company in 1957, and Howard is following in his footsteps. Howard has als...
Fred Kalisky became enamored with the maracas on his very first trip to Mexico City and realized it was an instrument that could be successful in the Canadian market (his home since reloc...
William Kent, along with his brother Ed, formed the Kent Drum Company in 1947 with a focus to create student-level kits to encourage music making at all economic levels. The company offe...
Jerry Keyawa loves to tell stories about the many amazing customers who have shopped at the Professional Drum Shop in Hollywood, California. He and his two brothers run the store that hi...
Stan Keyawa has grown up in the Professional Drum Shop in Hollywood, California. He and his two brothers run the store that his step-father, Bob Yeager, opened in 1959. What makes the s...
Thanh Kha has worked for Remo since 1981. He came to this country from Vietnam not knowing any English or Spanish, which was the primary language within the factory. Thanh was determined...
Bob Kilpatrick wrote his first song in the fourth grade and went on to pen one of the most popular worship songs in the last fifty years. In his early twenties, Bob and his wife performed...
Paul Kimbarow grew up in the west side of the Bronx in NYC. He first started playing drums after seeing conga players in the streets of New York and being fascinated by it. The conga play...
John King is among the most noted cymbal testers in the business. Working alongside Armand Zildjian in the factory in Massachusetts. John learned the fine skills of a tester and worked wi...
Akira Komaki recalled the early days of his grandfather’s career as a Japanese retailer. Akira took over the company from his father, the eldest son of his grandfather. Komaki Music opene...
Gene Kornblum’s father formed the famed St. Louis Music Company, which played a legendary role in the music products industry during most of the 1900s. As President beginning in the 1960s...
William Kraft has dedicated his life as a composer to the world of percussion. With noted works and workshops, William has become an important part of the educational element of the Percu...
Peter Kragh-Jacobsen started out as a percussionist performing all over Denmark. After tiring of being on the road, he opened the Drum and Percussion Center Denmark, established in 1980....
Alberto Kreimerman opened Hermes Music Stores in the United States with branches in Mexico beginning in 1982. His goal was always to serve music makers with quality products and service a...
Russ Kunkel has had a great influence on young drum students, not just because of his steady playing but because of his willingness to share his techniques and ideas. Russ has performed a...
John LaBouve’s background is in business and marketing. When he married into the Goodell Family, he took a chance at working in his father-in-law’s music store, Goodell Music in Sheboygan...
John Lambert is a docent at NAMM’s Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, California, having joined the team in 2019. Just after his docent training was complete the pandemic of 2020 hit and...
Morris “Arnie” Lang played percussion for the New York Philharmonic for over 40 years and wrote the book on percussive technique -- literally. Arnie became involved with the music product...
Ron Larcombe formed a rock band with his friends while in high school and fell in love with music. He toured the United States and Canada with several tribute bands before deciding he wa...
Neil Larrivee was just four years old when he began playing drums. His father was a manager for rock bands and music was all around Neil as he grew up. He served in the Drum and Bugle Cor...
Charles Lawing formed the Memphis music store Strings & Things in the 1970s and grew the business in size and product line along with his partner Chris Lovell. Charles enjoyed the ser...
Frank Lee’s parents established Tom Lee Music Company in Hong Kong to bring quality musical instruments to their customers. As President of the company, Frank has focused on those origin...
Jeff Lee was the president of Resurrection Drums in Hollywood, Florida, a mecca for percussionists for miles around. Jeff was one of the most passionate members of the music industry you...
Stanley Leonard, the principal timpanist emeritus for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, was interviewed during PASIC 2010 on the very day he was inducted into the PAS Hall of Fame. It wa...
