Full Interview

William F Ludwig III, known within the industry as B3, sat next to his sister Brooke as the two reflected on the Ludwig Drum Company’s 100th anniversary for the NAMM Oral History program.  He spoke of his father and grandfather, the company founder, and the impact they had on the music products...
Skip Daynes is proud of his heritage and the fact that he operates the oldest family- owned music store in the United States. Daynes Music in Salt Lake was also one of the first Steinway Piano dealers west of the Mississippi River. The store remains a vital part of the industry with pioneering...
Michael MacDonald has been a key-figure in the world of audio engineering and sound reinforcement as both a field technician and as part of corporate staff including as the president of JBL Professional. In 1996, as the Vice President for Harman Industries, Michael created many of the marketing...
Rob Turner’s first instrument was the drums; in fact it was the drums that brought him to establish one of the world’s best-known guitar pickup companies! While on tour in the early 1970s his drum kit was stolen, forcing him to rent a kit for the remaining tour. The experience caused him to rethink...
Rob Birenbaum has always had a love for percussion. As a drummer, he enjoyed playing the instrument and found equal satisfaction in selling percussion instruments and related accessories when he formed Drum Headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri. The store became a hub for percussionists and created a...
Rupert Neve’s long and historic career in audio provided recording engineers with innovative products for more than 70 years. His mixing consoles, with their unique designs and groundbreaking technology, have become mainstays of the recording industry. His name is hallowed among recording engineers...
Richard Janda specialized in repairing stringed instruments. It was also something he enjoyed very much. During World War II he was trained to repair the band instruments for the U.S. Military marching band, in which he was the trombonist. After the war he sought to add to that education while...
Bud Ross made his first amplifier for his own band in 1958 to save a little money. Within 5 years he had established Kustom Amps, a leader in product design and innovations. The powerful speakers within the amps were as much a selling point to rock and rollers as the tuck and roll design of the...
Bonnie G. Rowe did not seem to mind much when people thought he was a woman because his given name was Bonnie. For 87 years he corrected people and never gave much thought to using his middle name of Gordon. “Mother and father wanted me to be known as Bonnie, so that is it” he once said. “All I...
Robert Averwater’s father, M. J. Averwater taught music, wrote a method book and opened up Amro Music in Memphis, TN, with a fellow music teacher. Robert recalled some of the challenges of the store in the early days after World War II.  The inventory needed to be reestablished as instruments and...

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