Fred Vail

Fred Vail was making announcements on a local radio station in Sacramento, California when he was just 12 years old. While in high school, he led the committee that brought bands to the school dances. One such band, The Beach Boys, had just recorded a few songs that were climbing up the charts but they did not perform much outside of the Los Angeles area at that time. Fred booked the band, which was a big success. He later played a vital role in promoting and booking the band over the next several years. Among his amazing experiences with the boys was being in the studio when Pet Sounds was being mastered. In 1980, Fred established an award-winning recording studio in Nashville called Treasure Isle. He also became a historian for the studios in town, providing tours of RCA Studio B for example. In fact, the day the NAMM staff arrived in Nashville to capture Fred’s interview, he was able to arrange the interview to take place inside RCA Studio B!