Bernice Ash began working at the Sam Ash Music Store in New York City in 1947, one year before marrying the founder’s eldest son, Jerry. Bernice and Jerry continued the tradition of keepi...
Vivian Artley’s brother formed the Artley Flute Company in Elkhart, IN, during the 1930s. With an innovation that allowed the instrument to be made cheaper, Artley became a successful pr...
Shiro Arai was the founder of Aria Guitars, a Japanese electric guitar company that gained great international success in the wake of the Beatles invasion—both in America and Japan. Mr. ...
R.C. Allen was a guitar luthier that used the style of his many friends of the era in the early 1950s in Southern California when guitar innovators were reshaping the instrument and groom...
Van Alexander co-wrote “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” with Ella Fitzgerald while both worked in the Chick Webb Orchestra back in 1938. The success of that song led to a job as arranger for Webb as ...
Henry Adler helped define the percussion industry with his music publishing company, drum shop and method books. His amazing life in music began as a drummer during the big band era. Hi...
Hawley Ades was hired by Irving Berlin in 1932 to assist the legendary American songwriter with musical arrangements. Hawley stayed with Berlin for five years before being hired by choir...
Solomon Burke’s amazing career in music included a number of important landmarks! His early recordings, which combined gospel and the blues, have become important and influential material...
Steve Porcaro vividly recalls watching the Beatles perform on the Ed Sullivan television program in February 1964 and having the sense that his life would never be the same. After forming...
George Petersen has a very interesting perspective on the music products industry. As editor of MIX magazine, George has not only written about the changes in the industry, he has been f...
Jerome Murphy III, the vice president of M. Steinert & Son’s piano dealer in Boston, provided insightful stories on the rich history of Steinert’s musical history. Jerome told of Morr...
Airto Moreira has gained international recognition as one of the world’s leading Latin percussionists. He has introduced an innovative approach to playing percussion as well as teaching c...
Bill Lawrence was known for his pick-up design and his long career as a German based guitarist. In fact, when visiting the Framus Museum in Markneukirchen Germany, you can learn of his in...
Dan Kobida was first interviewed for the NAMM Oral History program back in 2004 during the Wurlitzer company reunion in Oak Brook, Illinois. Dan was not only a respected former employee o...
This video is of our annual NAMM Tribute, created in honor of our members and music industry friends who passed away in 2007 and early 2008. This Tribute was shown for the first time at ...
This video is of our annual NAMM Tribute, created in honor of our members and music industry friends who passed away in 2006 and early 2007. This Tribute was shown for the first time at ...
This video is of our annual NAMM Tribute, created in honor of our members and music industry friends who passed away in 2005 and early 2006. This Tribute was shown for the first time at ...
This video is of our annual NAMM Tribute, created in honor of our members and music industry friends who passed away in 2004 and early 2005. This Tribute was shown for the first time at ...
This video is of our annual NAMM Tribute, created in honor of our members and music industry friends who passed away in 2003 and early 2004. This Tribute was shown for the first time at ...
