Combo Line
Sarah Glew began her career in the music industry by selling records in a small store just south of San Francisco in Pacifica, California. Over time she added musical instruments and found that guitars were a great seller in the heyday of the Beatles and the British Rock Invasion. As the store...
Victor Lillo Jr. grew up in the music industry attending his first NAMM when he was 12 years old at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, CA. Vic reflects on his exposure to music and how a good attitude is a key to success. He founded the Johnny Guitar Corporation in Hollywood, CA. (est. 1988) and...
Benny Englund was a rock and roll singer as a teen when he fell in love with the music industry! He toured with groups as a roadie and sound engineer. He also worked for a time for a few record companies and traveled with groups such as the Hollies with Graham Nash and the Rolling Stones. Benny...
Vic Lillo Sr. and his wife Doreen started business in 1963, opening Lillo’s School Of Modern Music Ltd, a music school and retail music store in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Lillo’s Music has become an established and unique landmark known for its professional music instruction, customer service and...
Lars Wern is the Vice President of Em Nordic AB in Stockholm, Sweden, working alongside the company’s founder, Benny Englund. In fact, during the 2013 NAMM Show in Anaheim, Lars and Benny were interviewed together and shared their love for the industry and spoke about some of the changes they...
Les Lillo grew up in the music industry; his parents founded Lillo's Music in 1963. Les recalls growing up and working in the family business, playing drums in the family band and performing in and around his hometown of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He recollects aspects of the music industry in...
Ben Ash began working for his family’s store before he can remember. He is the fourth generation of Ash family members to work in the company that was formed by his great-grandfather, Sam Ash. In addition, Ben is the third generation Ash to be interviewed for the NAMM Oral History program, a...
Sam Wangler ran a music store in Bismarck, North Dakoda for 35 years before his retirement. He taught himself guitar after hearing "Walk Don't Run" by the Ventures as a kid. He later played in several bands in and around the area, and the passion he had for playing transferred into music...
Joe Lindner has a real passion for playing and teaching music. He gives lessons, mostly on drums and guitar, in his parents’ music store, Lindner Music in Watertown, South Dakota. Joe is also the instrument repair technician for the store, having gone to school for his training. The repairs he...
Tom Haggerty grew up in the Black Hills of South Dakota where he learned to play the guitar. He gigged for many years on the road, which at one point took him to Nashville where he wrote songs and performed. However, he missed home and decided to return to Rapid City where he opened a music store...