Deceased
Maurice Fox loves selling organs to area churches. In fact, even after a retirement from the presidency of Fox’s Music in Charleston, South Carolina, (his son now holds that position), he still travels the state selling Allen Organs. Maurice served on the NAMM board as well as was president of...
Herbert Newton opened his piano store in 1939, a few years after becoming a piano tuner in the Norfolk area. Back in the beginning of the store, traveling out to nearby farms was key to his success. A decade later he found the key to be servicing pianos for the US Navy. Herb spent decades bringing...
Ron Griggs dreamed of being a band teacher as a child. His career as a teacher was rewarding as he was often stopped in the street by former students who would remark on how much of an important influence he had been as their band director. His teaching background proved helpful when he was hired...
Franz Mohr was the chief concert technician for Steinway and Sons for many decades. During his long and colorful career, Franz worked on the pianos of many of the great pianists of his time, including Horowitz, Cliburn, Serkin and Rubinstein. He developed many techniques for tuning and setting up...
B.B. King spoke of his great love of music making and provided sound advice for those who want to play an instrument. He smiled as he recalled buying his first guitar amplifier and spoke with a warm voice when reflecting on his greatest musical influences. BB's NAMM Oral History interview was a...
Leonard Schmitt opened a small guitar shop to provide lessons in the St. Louis area back in 1932. At the time we wrote a method for teaching music called the Schmitt Music Training Approach. Over the years the method has been used to educate millions of students on how to make music. In 1973, he...
Don Gayle served as a technical writer for Shure for three decades, after a long and distinguished career as a professor of literature. While at Shure, Don’s language skills were key to the quality of materials for instructing customers in the use of each product. These materials remain a well-...
Rose Shure took over ownership of the Shure Company after her husband Sidney N. Shure died in 1995. With her great understanding of the products and office policies (having been employed there herself since 1949), She was able to not only continue the pace that her husband started, but expand and...
Herbert David was often called upon when a guitar needed repair – especially when the guitar belonged Eric Clapton. Still, guitar repair was only a part of his business. Herb enjoys making “odd ball instruments” as he calls them, and was hired by the Smithsonian to create an ancient instrument they...
Ralph Sordyl believed in music! Having started a music repair business in his living room while teaching music, Ralph grew the company, Sordyl’s House of Music, to one of the best known in the country. It is remarkable that Ralph had the time considering he had nine children. Upon asking Mr. Sordyl...