Wes Lee can recall music in his home as far back as he can remember. His father was an award-winning band director and jazz musician. Like his father, Wes first started playing trumpet, b...
Chris Barker’s grandfather played the piano and made sure each of his grandchildren had a piano in their homes as well as the opportunity to take lessons. Chris was inspired by Elvis Pres...
Rhonda Beleck feels privileged to be among the very few who get to know each employee of Mississippi Music’s four locations. Overseeing the 401(k) and benefits programs for the company, R...
Jason Turner was surrounded by music growing up and by the fourth grade he was imitating Floyd Cramer’s style of piano playing. He remembers the day in the sixth grade when Mississippi Mu...
Vasti Jackson is a fifth-generation music maker in his family! He started on drums and then switched to guitar which he began playing professionally by the time he was 12 years old. In 19...
Dr. Sherman Hong was encouraged at a young age by several outstanding music teachers to play percussion. In sixth grade he learned how to play drums using the Belwin band method series, w...
Sherry Kampe was hired to join the Mississippi Music team about the same time as her lifelong friend Rosi Johnson. The two played a big role in adapting new technology over the years to a...
Shane Henker has always been drawn to musical instruments, first as a player and later as a repair technician. While serving in the US Marine Corps, Shane played in the Army Reserve Band ...
Tim Miller was watching The Ed Sullivan Show when the Beatles came on and changed his life. From that moment on, he wanted to play drums! Tim’s very supportive father drove him to lessons...
Bix Johnson’s parents started a small retail business out of their home following World War II, which grew into the multi-chain of stores for Mississippi Music. Bix grew up in the busines...
Liz Jones joined Mississippi Music in August 1977 when the company was operating Peavey’s Melody Music in Meridian. Her husband, Barry, was hired a few months earlier to make deliveries f...
Barry Jones joined Mississippi Music in April 1977 serving as the delivery man for Peavey’s Melody Music in Meridian. The store was later moved to the local mall and rebranded with Missis...
Dr. Michael Peters is the former Managing Director of Messe Frankfurt and an avid musician. Early on he formed several skiffle bands and later founded the Musikmesse Frankfurt Allstars. F...
Cornelia Kinzelmann is CEO of ESM which produces mouthpieces for clarinets and saxophones. Cornelia remembers her grandfather, Wenzel Schreiber, from the time when she was a child. Wenzel...
Willie Hatcher gives a great deal of credit to the public-school system in Mississippi when he was growing up in the 1950s for providing a variety of shop classes. Those instructional cou...
Courtland Gray joined the Peavey Electronics team in Meridian, Mississippi in 2001 working in the finance department. As his career developed at Peavey and his position changed to CFO, Co...
John Fields grew up in Meridian and took a great interest in his mother’s job at Peavey Electronics. As a kid, John worked on electrical components and built his first guitar at the age o...
Tammie Harper was born and raised in Meridian, Mississippi and like so many people in the town she was interested in music, so she joined the Peavey Electronics team. Her first job for th...
Bill Richardson played drums and his brother played guitar growing up in Canton, Mississippi. His drum kit came together very slowly, first a Ludwig part, then something from Slingerland ...
Lloyd Turner happily landed his first teaching job right out of college as band director for Madison Central High School in Jackson, Mississippi in 1966. The job cemented in Lloyd’s mind ...
Jerry Puckett is a studio musician for Malaco Records in Jackson, Mississippi who played guitar on the hits “Groove Me” by King Floyd and “Mr. Big Stuff” by Jewel Bass, among many others....
Luroy Hart was in the ninth grade when his family moved to Jackson, Mississippi. His father was a preacher and filled the home with music. Luroy picked up the bass horn and tuba with drea...
Terry Hart is well known at Mississippi Music for her expert saxophone repair skills. Students and professional musicians from around the state (and sometimes outside of Mississippi too) ...
Tommie Vaughn was just seven years old when his father purchased a piano. He played in church since age 11 and was inspired and encouraged by the church organist who also took time to sho...
Dr. John Hanbery joined the school band in the fourth grade in his hometown of Greenwood, Mississippi. He was encouraged and inspired by his band director, which is a strong reason why he...
Raphael Semmes (pronounced Raf-yul) has fond memories of his mother singing as he was growing up. The feeling of her music became an inspiration for him and when he was given a Silvertone...
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 ...
Jewel Bass is known for singing backup on countless Malaco recordings since 1969 and with her own band, These Days. She started singing in church, influenced by her uncles who sang in a g...
Vince Massimino was surrounded by music growing up as both of his parents taught music. His father was also a composer who wrote educational music. As a result, Vince played in bands (wit...
CD Hagan was always a believer in the benefits of the social aspects of being involved in a school band program. While playing in his college band, he met his wife and while teaching band...
