Organs
Dick Hyman has always been an innovative musician and as a result has performed on many of the latest developments in musical instruments over his long career. Known mostly for his jazz style on the piano, Dick has gained attention for his early work on the organ, the electronic harpsichord and the...
Joy Collins had a very successful career selling pianos and organs! In fact she may very well be the person who sold the most Allen Organs ever. Joy was hired by Glenn Davis, who owned a piano and organ store in Chicago, originally as a secretary but soon discovered selling was in her blood. She...
Robert Zadel spent nearly 50 years in the organ business working with two of the biggest names in the industry. Bob spent 12 years working as the marketing director for the Conn Organ division during the heyday of the electronic organ. He later played a major role in Curt Carter’s Organ Exchange...
Joey DeFrancesco has single handedly brought back the popularity of the Hammond B-3, beginning in the 1990s. Joey’s soulful approach echoes his heroes of the past such as Jimmy Smith, whom he recorded with in 2005. Joey has also brought the organ style up-to-date to be played smoothly in jazz....
Steven Eaklor is a walking encyclopedia of the history of the electronic organ –especially the Hammond organ. Since he was a child he has loved the Hammond and ironically enough grew up to become one of the company’s product engineers. Within the industry, Steven has played a vital role as the...
Johnny Rodgers can tell you all about the trends of piano sales in Texas. As salesman for Jent Music in Lubbock, he has watched the market and his customer base change over the years. He has also had the unique opportunity to work with the Jent family, one of the principal families in the industry...
Dan Kobida was first interviewed for the NAMM Oral History program back in 2004 during the Wurlitzer company reunion in Oak Brook, Illinois. Dan was not only a respected former employee of the now defunct company but also a key player in the organization of the reunion, which was as much of a...
Martha Markowitz married her knight-in-shining-armor right after World War II. She soon helped him run the small organ company he started before the war. The Allen Organ Company has been a pioneering business in church organs and in digital technology for many decades. Although Jerome has passed...
Mr. Menchey founded the Menchey Music Service in 1936 out of his mother’s sewing room in Hanover. By the time he retired in 1982, Menchey’s Music grew into the premier full-service school music and piano dealer serving Central Pennsylvania and Northern Maryland. He pioneered expansive sheet music...
Steve Markowitz’s father invented a unique electronic organ in the 1930s and established the Allen Organ Company in Allentown, PA. Steve’s father, Jerome, built his first experimental instrument back in the Depression Era--1936. As the popularity of the instrument grew, particularly with churches...