Keyboards
Larry "Moogstar" Clemon gained his nickname playing synthesizers for several funk and R&B bands such as the Zapp Band and Cameo. While working with Roger Troutman with the Zapp Band, Moogstar helped design a wireless vocoder to make it possible for Roger to walk into the crowds while...
Alan Kay has always had a love for music and in fact often found himself thinking in terms of a musician when he was designing computers and computer code. Alan is a computer science pioneer who spent a decade at the famed Xerox PARC helping to design and engineer personal computers, computer code...
Hartmut Willms is the President of Piano Willms, a firm established by his grandfather and his two brothers back in 1912. Hartmut’s grandfather enjoyed building pianos and created the Willms brand of instruments as well as manufactured other brands over the years. After World War II, Hartmut’s...
Bob Rosenthal began his career in the music business working with Curt Carter and Bob Hill in San Diego. The Organ Exchange was the learning grounds for Bob and many other salesmen who went on to form their own stores around the country. Bob later worked for Accent Music in Arcadia before helping...
Jim Hamblen proudly comes from a very musical family. His uncle was the great songwriter and musician, Stuart Hamblen, who wrote such classic songs as "It Is No Secret" and "This Ole House." Jim began writing songs himself, many of which have been published by Eagle Street Press. In the early...
Tom Wilson might have been among the most-suggested people to be included in the NAMM Oral History Program! Suggestions came from those who worked with him over the years who gained respect for his abilities, fairness and friendship! Tom worked with Yamaha in Texas as the Direct Sales Manager,...
Erik Zobler was passionate about sound and music from an early age and seemed destined to carve out a career surrounded by other passionate music makers. As a studio engineer and producer, Erik’s long list of credits includes assisting Bruce Swedien on Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall album, as...
Bernie Capicchiano was coached from the Accounting world to manage a new music retail store for the Brash Group in Australia in 1973.His long career in the industry includes a strong relationship with the Hammond-Suzuki Company as well as Johannus Organs, Schimmel, Hailun and Bernstein Pianos....
Alan Rosen sat down for his first interview for the NAMM Oral History program in January 2014. It was a special occasion as it was Alan’s 30th anniversary of his first show and his 30th winter show, as he has not missed one since first attending! Capturing this interview was also important for...
Thomas Austin was a key part of the Sherman Clay team for over 40 years! The store chain focused on pianos; however, Thomas recalls the home organ boom in the 1970s as the company was a Hammond Organ dealer. The company was formed in San Francisco in 1870 and grew to be the biggest (for a time)...