Composer/Songwriter
Tommy Roe wrote most of the hit songs for which he is best known, such as "Dizzy," "Sheila," "Everybody" and "Sweet Pea." Each were hit songs in the 1960s and were part of the early days of his career, which included a tour with the Beatles in 1963. Tommy later formed a music publishing company and...
Ronny Cox is the actor who played the guitar in the famous Dueling Banjo scene during the 1972 movie Deliverance. That movie moment led to a big boom in banjo and acoustic guitar (and canoe) sales around the world. It was also Ronny's first film role. Throughout his acting career he almost always...
Marty Stuart grew up in the small town of Philadelphia, Mississippi surrounded by country music, which he taught himself to play on a family guitar when he was 12 years old. Marty soon learned the mandolin and began writing songs for local dances and school events. During his NAMM interview he...
Michael Doucet has become an important link to the roots of Cajun music, not only because he has written and performed the musical style since he was 6 years old, but because of the months he spent conducting a geological survey in and around his hometown of Scott, Louisiana. He discovered how the...
Jimmy Johnson helped define the Chicago Blues of the 1960s and 70s with a series of live performances and recordings. Some of his best known songs were captured at Bob Koester's Delmark Records. Jimmy wrote several songs recorded by other artists and toured the world performing with the likes of...
Rick Nielsen is among the very few rock stars who grew up in a music store! His story and background is perfect for the NAMM Oral History program as it ties together a professional career in music making with mom and pop music retailing! Rick's father purchased a music store in Rockford, Illinois...
Harry Casey wrote a few songs and headed into a Miami studio with the simple goal of making a dance record. He used the studio musicians and would later ask those guys to tour with him when his record became a big hit. KC and the Sunshine Band helped define the disco era, even though Harry always...
Betty Wright was three years old when she was placed on a pile of phone books in a studio in order to reach the microphone when her family recorded gospel music. She began writing songs very young, many of which were performed by her siblings. In the 1960s, Betty made the move to R&B music and...
Tom Paxton spoke eloquently about the role folk music played during critical events in American history, such as the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s for which he was involved with. Tom marched, wrote songs, and played the songs of others, such as Pete Seeger, in order to bring about...
Karl Denson has played the saxophone alongside Lenny Kravitz, The Rolling Stones, Jack DeJohnette, Switchfoot, and the Blind Boys of Alabama (among others). He was the co-founder of the acid jazz band The Greyboy Allstars, which was formed in 1993. The band originally got together for a CD release...