Will Champlin grew up in a very musical family, his father Ben is the songwriter and founding member of the band Chicago. Will studied at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachu...
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Ray Charles, or as he called himself "The Other Ray Charles...
Alvin Chea is the bass for the singing group Take 6. Alvin joined the group five years after they were formed and soon became an important element in their unique sound. During their ca...
Thomas Claxton has had some meaningful vocal coaches over the years who have inspired him and taught him important tips, such as how to protect his voice. Lauren Ringwald was his vocal te...
Eddy Clearwater was a teenager when he left Mississippi to live with his uncle in Chicago. There he discovered his love for the blues. As a guitarist, Eddy became a sought after session...
George Clinton is the funk mastermind behind some of the now landmark recordings of Parliament and Funkadelic beginning in the 1970s, including the largely successful hit “Flashlight.” Ge...
Denny Coiro spent over 40 years of his career in the piano industry. As a salesman, Denny worked for several stores over the years and had some wonderful experiences bringing a new instru...
Judy Collins is perhaps best known for her string of hit recordings in the late 1960s and 70s such as “Both Sides, Now,” “Amazing Grace,” and “Send in the Clowns.” However, did you know J...
John Conlee was not even a teenager when he joined a barbershop quartet in Versailles, Kentucky where his father ran a tobacco farm. He was often heard singing and playing his guitar and ...
Margie Coyle joined several big bands as a singer in the golden age of the swing era. Bandleader Ziggy Coyle hired her for his band and the two fell in love. She worked at her husband’s s...
Gail Davies was the first female Record Producer in Nashville. In 1973, she was encouraged to run her own sessions by Henry Lewy (1926-2008). It was not easy to establish herself as a pro...
Valerie Day became a pop star in the 1980s when she and her husband formed the band Nu Shooz. Their first big hit, "I Can't Wait" helped define the synth-heavy sound of the era, as well ...
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Frank De Vol was a noted arranger who took jazz to televisi...
Khristian Dentley is the baritone for the singing group Take 6. The group was formed in 1980 and Khristian joined the group in 2011. During their career the group has sold millions of r...
Michael Des Barres is a pioneering glam rock musician, best known for writing the 1980s New Wave hit "Obsession." In 1972, he formed the glam rock band Silverhead and has always stayed gr...
Dawn Dixon formed Music Plus in Birmingham, Alabama with the goal of providing the same teaching opportunities for local vocalist that she was afforded. After a strong college experience ...
DJ Grandmaster Flash combined his love of music with his passion for electronics to become one of the pioneers of Hip Hop music. His innovative style of mixing records and blending beats ...
Larry Dodson Sr. was asked to become the first singer in the Bar-Kays back in 1970. The band started out as an instrumental group in the 1960s and gained world-wide fame as Otis Redding ...
Vernon Drane played several musical instruments growing up in Tennessee including the trumpet and saxophone. He later studied instrument repair and spent 68 years (!) working with the Amr...
Nigel Edmund-Jones was the founder of the London Rock Shop. The small store was established in 1980 and became legendary in the music industry for the long list of famous customers. The s...
DJ Evil E was thirteen years old when he heard the pioneering artist Grandmaster Flash, which inspired E to get his own turntable rig. As a young DJ, Evil E was inspired by a performance ...
Tabitha Fair grew up singing in her father's church in Oklahoma. She discovered at an early age songwriting and formed Avalon, a highly successful Contemporary Christian group with some o...
Michael Feinstein is a student of the American Songbook as well as its cheerleader and Pied Piper! Throughout his career he has specialized in promoting the songs and songwriters from the...
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Helen Forrest was often called the Sweetheart of the Big Ba...
Melissa Foster loves talking about the Bluegrass group her family formed, beginning when she was just a child. The Foster Family String Band toured all over the United States, mostly on w...
Peter Frampton is known around the world as a musician and singer who took the charts by storm in the 1970s. To the music products industry Peter is best known as a friend and promoter of...
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...
Paul Garcia along with his brother Fred and sister Lucy formed a group called The Garcia’s. Since they all sang and played from an early age, and were always encouraged by their father, i...
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Kenny Gardner was a popular vocalist during the Big Band Er...
Leif Garrett, a prominent figure in the entertainment industry, gained fame as both an actor and a singer during the 1970s. With a string of acting roles in television and film, he captur...
Crystal Gayle had a string of hit country songs in the 1970s including her big number one crossover pop hit, "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blues." The recording provided Crystal the opport...
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Georgia Gibbs, often billed as “Her Nibbs,” enjoyed a succe...
