Booker T. Jones
Russ Gazda recalls listening to his mother playing the Hawaiian Guitar as a child. He played the accordion and later was introduced to the Hammond B-3, thanks to recordings by his hero Booker T. Jones. Russ sought to play wherever he could and in his early days he performed in lounges in the...
Joan Gand followed her drummer to a gig while still in high school. There, he introduced her to a guitarist from another school who eventually became her future husband, Gary Gand. Together they formed a very successful music store in Highland Park, Illinois that focused on the innovative...
Booker T. Jones grew up in Memphis and began recording as a session player while still in high school at the age of 17. While waiting for a session to begin, Booker and the other musicians in the studio began playing a song Booker wrote, which was later given a name when the engineer encouraged...
For many musicians, obtaining an instrument for the very first time is a special experience unlike any other. Strumming your first guitar or beating your first drum can spark an extraordinary musical adventure. The musicians we have interviewed through the NAMM Oral History Program have told some...