Kay McDowell

Kay McDowell now (and may always) holds the record for the most NAMM shows attended --82 in a row (1923 when she was three until 2005)! As a very young girl, she accompanied her father, the owner of Ludwig Aeolian of St. Louis, Missouri, to the show. Years later, her husband, Bob, took over that business and a very active role in the industry (including NAMM President). Kay often played the warm role of hostess and greeter at industry gatherings, while keeping the books and managing the office while Bob was on the road. She also pioneered the mailing list as a way of tracking various categories of their customer base.