Full Interview

Eleanor West and her husband Pearl established a music store in Iowa City just a year after getting married in 1940. Eleanor was the bookkeeper in the early years of West Music Company and was known to make a penny last during the Great Depression and World War II. She also played an important role...
James Saied, the founder of the Saied Music Store chain in Oklahoma loved the marches of John Phillip Sousa! In fact, he liked them so much that he teamed with then NAMM President Ziggy Coyle to create the bill Ronald Reagan signed into law in 1983 making the “Stars and Strips Forever” the national...
Milton DeLugg wrote many remarkable and popular songs such as "Orange Blossom Sky," recorded by Nat King Cole. He wrote TV theme songs and stacks of movie music. All the while, he was working with and becoming friends with the great American tunesmiths, being one of them himself. Luckily for our...
Henry Goldrich had some of the most remarkable stories in the industry! As the owner of Manny’s Music retail store in New York City he saw it all. Playing a vital role in Manny’s world renowned reputation, Henry expanded the product line and promoted up-and-coming innovations, which created a...
Morty Manus and his lovely wife Iris were the driving force behind the Alfred Music Publishing Company for over 50 years, when their sons took over the operations of the company. During that time Morty’s guitar method books helped change the face of the publishing industry and were an enormous...
Iris Manus and her husband, Morty, are one of the most adorable couples you may ever meet. Their interview was full of colorful remembrances of the early days of Alfred Publishing, how they met, and the great pride of their sons now running the company. The friendships they have created in the...
Eugene Kornblum’s father formed the famed St. Louis Music Company, which played a legendary role in the music products industry during most of the 1900s. As President beginning in the 1960s, Gene expanded the company with a number of important product lines including Ampeg basses and amplifiers....
Keith Mardak provided great detail of the history of Hal Leonard Publishing, especially the stories of the company's founder, who passed away years ago, before he could be interviewed for this program. Without Keith's insight, the early days of this important music publisher may have been lost....
Sandy Feldstein played an important role in the publishing of music and method books on percussion. With a sharp understanding of the publishing business and music education, Sandy has been at the forefront of technology and marketing methods, which have had success around the world. As a composer...
Dave Bartholomew was a noted bandleader, trumpeter, and songwriter who captured a pioneering sound known as the “big beat” of rock and roll. His uncanny ability to provide the perfect musical expression to the words of his bandmate Fats Domino resulted in a long list of classic recordings. Together...

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