Mississippi Music
Carl Johnston is the store manager for the Hattiesburg location of Mississippi Music. His family ran a local grocery store for which Carl credits for instilling his belief in the importance of customer service. That background may very well have been where Carl learned the need to encourage and...
Chris Barker’s grandfather played the piano and made sure each of his grandchildren had a piano in their homes as well as the opportunity to take lessons. Chris was inspired by Elvis Presley to play the guitar and later switched to bass guitar when he joined a band in junior high. He played...
Cathy Watkins worked for Mississippi Music for over 35 years! Although she spent much of her time in the Purchasing Department, Cathy played a vital role in the organization’s Wholesale Division, Eagle Distributors. She worked very closely with the two founders, Mac and Jimmy Johnson, and even...
Sherry Kampe was hired to join the Mississippi Music team about the same time as her lifelong friend Rosi Johnson. The two played a big role in adapting new technology over the years to address tasks such as accounts receivable and monthly inventory. Right after finishing high school in 1972,...
Wes Lee can recall music in his home as far back as he can remember. His father was an award-winning band director and jazz musician. Like his father, Wes first started playing trumpet, but later switched to trombone and played all throughout school. Wes played professionally, actively touring with...
Anthony Everette recalls with a smile the day Jimmy Johnson hired him in 1982 to help with the wholesale division of Mississippi Music. The division, Eagle Distributors, was an important part of the company and allowed him the opportunity to work closely with Mr. Johnson, who became a mentor....
Jason Turner was surrounded by music growing up and by the fourth grade he was imitating Floyd Cramer’s style of piano playing. He remembers the day in the sixth grade when Mississippi Music came to his school to demonstrate instruments, and it inspired him to join the school band program. In 1996...
Sue Howard was hired in 1984 to serve as Jimmy Johnson’s secretary at Mississippi Music. Mr. Johnson, who formed the chain of retail stores with his wife, Mac, in the 1940s was serving as president of the NAMM Board when Sue was hired. Her job changed and developed over the years and included...
Tim Miller was watching The Ed Sullivan Show when the Beatles came on and changed his life. From that moment on, he wanted to play drums! Tim’s very supportive father drove him to lessons each week and Tim was encouraged to develop as a musician by several dedicated teachers. He played his first...
Ashley Johnson is the daughter of Rosie and Dex Johnson and the granddaughter of the founders of Mississippi Music, Mac and Jimmy. Ashley shared many of her favorite memories of growing up in the music industry during her 2019 NAMM Oral History interview. She recounted the days of helping her...