Music Manufacturing
Hartley Peavey was like most kids his age in Mississippi during the mid 1950s--he wanted to be a rock and roll star! In a very real way he did became a rock star, not as a performer but as a manufacturer of musical instruments–beginning with his pioneering guitar amplifier. Equal to a performer’s...
Bob Taylor enrolled in wood shop while a student in high school and made a guitar for his final grade. The idea of making his own guitars came easy to Bob and he set out to create his own style of guitars. Many of his friends told him he could not compete with long standing companies, but Bob...
Henry Z. Steinway was quite articulate when speaking about the incredible history of the Steinway and Sons Piano Company. One could say that he lived all elements of being a Steinway as the former president of the Steinway Company. His love for music led to the creation of the board of the NAMM ...
Danny Henkin was one of the true characters of the music products industry. He began his career with G. Leblanc Corporation and later worked as sales and marketing manager for Gemeinhardt Flutes – that is, before he bought the company. His background was in advertising and over the years he grew to...
Bud Reglein’s uncle formed a small mouthpiece company in Elkhart, IN and named it J.J. Babbitt as he felt it sounded better than Jessie James Babbitt. Bud took over the company in 1939 and, in the 1940s, engineered a custom facing machine to ensure each mouthpiece made could be consistent, thus...
Terry Lewis has fulfilled many roles within the music products industry including Executive Vice President of Yamaha Corporation of America. Under his leadership, the company expanded its educational and foundation programs while playing a vital role in many key industry originations such as MENC,...
Alan Poster grew up in the music products industry beginning in the 1960s during the folk and Beatles boom. He worked with Jerry Hershman for several years getting a strong background for the retail and wholesale business as well as manufacturing. In 1979 Alan formed Ace Products to offer a wide...
Billy Carson was listed in the Guinness book of world records for growing the largest watermelon ever weighed. And if you think that is something, consider the fact that Billy also worked with Leo Fender in streamlining the Stratocaster electric guitar in the early 1950s. As a country player in...
Remo Belli revolutionized the music products industry by introducing the Weather King, the single most popular drumhead in the world! As a jazz drummer, Remo was looking for ways to improve the percussive products he was using. Once his team of chemists found the perfect formula, Remo took it...
Don Leslie, the inventor of the very successful Leslie Speaker, was pleased with the concept of the product that was a simple idea but a tricky design. As a child, Don was fascinated by the large pipe organs and how the sound traveled all around the listener. He had the goal of bringing that...