Full Interview
Charles Traeger had an impressive reputation in the world of bass making and bass restoration. His long career began when he was a musician in the big band era looking for someone who could help with his own instrument. He learned all he could and noticed there was a real need for literature for...
Pete Seeger was the American folk icon who made it a personal goal to bring peace to the world by getting people to sing! His role in the folk music movement, beginning in the 1930's, forever changed the role music played in protest, celebration and sorrow. Within the music products industry,...
DJ GrandWizzard Theodore is world famous for inventing the signature sound of Hip Hop, The Scratch, and he was around 13 years old at the time! The story of how this came about 1975 is a funny one of fate, but it was by no means his only contribution to Hip Hop. He also invented & perfected The...
DJ Johnny Juice is perhaps best known for his work on such records as “Rebel Without a Pause” with Public Enemy and “Musica Negra” with Rob Swift. The musical integrity of his contributions to Hip Hop cannot be overstated. In addition to perfecting the art of scratching, Johnny Juice approaches...
DJ Jazzy Joyce, born in the Bronx, grew up in the era that ushered in the Hip Hop movement of dance, culture and music beginning in local parks. Joyce developed her style with her strong techniques and engaging energy. In 1986 she teamed with Sweet Tee for the hit recording of “It’s My Beat” and...
Viola Smith Viola played drums in a number of big bands and small combos during her career in music. She joined Phil Spitalny's all-female orchestra as the drummer and later appeared in such films as 1945's "Here Come the Co-Eds" featuring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. In the 1960s she joined the...
Leon Russell was the noted musician and songwriter who contributed greatly to popular and rock music during his long career. As a studio musician, Leon was active in the development of the Linn Drum Machine having provided Roger Linn with several ideas to create new sounds, such as the hand clap...
Nat Clark worked for the York Band Instrument Company for over 40 years! He was hired in New York in 1957 because his older brother was working for Carl Fischer, which owned York at the time. Nat later moved to the factory in Michigan where he started on the bench buffing instruments. He soon...
John Allegrezza began working in the piano business in 1957 and soon discovered he had a real passion for the business and the people. In 1981 he opened his store, Allegrezza Pianos, in Ridgeland, Mississippi, just north of Jackson. Over the years he has worked with some of the biggest names in...
Mary Lou Hoogenboom was a factory worker for the Gibson Guitar Company when it was located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She was hired in 1951 and began working in the sanding department, but found that she worked in every department before she retired in 1985. Her retirement occurred the same year the...