Deceased
Calvin Grafton was very interested in the radio business as a youngster. His early jobs included radio repair but he knew he needed more for a solid business, so he opened his own music store in Pennsylvania in 1963. Grafton Music soon gained a respected reputation in and around the state and the...
J. Scott McFadyen served as president of the family operated store after his father, the founder, retired. Scott was heavily involved with the music industry by helping to establish NASMD and serving on the NAMM Board of Directors. Scott's father was also the mayor of Fayetteville, North Carolina...
John Dee Holeman was an influential blues performer known as the last surviving original musician who popularized the Piedmont Blues style. The finger-picking guitar style was also known as Southeastern Blues and refers to alternating thumb bass string rhythms with the syncopated melodic treble...
Mark Thomas was a noted flute player who toured the world and recorded several albums during his long career. As a product endorser, Mark appeared in several printed ads over the years as he was hired by several flute makers as a product engineer to help improve and in some cases, design musical...
Harry West was the founder of Fine Musical Instruments located in Statesville, North Carolina. The store was an early pioneer in vintage stringed instrument sales and in fact, Stanley Jay once called Harry, "the father of us all." His store was later renamed Harry and Jeanie West's Fine Musical...
George Shuffler was the country and bluegrass guitar player who is credited for a three figure cross-picking playing style (down two strings, up one) that he created out of necessity. While playing for a small country band on the radio in the 1940s, George needed to add fills to several slow paced...
Tut Taylor was a world renowned Dobro player, but did you know he partnered with George Gruhn and the two hired Randy Wood to form a music store in Nashville? Gruhn Guitars began as GTR, which was an abbreviation for George, Tut and Randy, when it opened in the 1970s. Although George would buy Tut...
Guy Ward was the president of the Ward Piano Company, located in Canton, North Carolina, from the 1940s until his retirement. After his daughter and son took over the company, he continued to go into the shop every day even at the time of his 2013 NAMM Oral History interview when he was 89! As...
Ralph Stanley was best known for his featured songs in the movie "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou," although his career began in the 1930s. He sang in church with his family and later hit the road with a small group to bring their unique style of country music to the world. He appeared on radio and...
Randy "Baja" Fletcher was a well respected production manager of live events who won the 2010 Parnelli Life Time Achievement Award for his dedication to the industry. His long and passionate career included work with ZZ Top, Randy Travis and the entire touring career of Brooks & Dunn! Baja's...