Texas
William C. Everitt is one of the big names in the music products industry from the big state of Texas. As a musical retailer, he has assisted in the development of the industry and the way instruments are sold. With an eye on the business side of the operation, Mr. Everitt worked to grow the...
Ray Hennig opened Heart of Texas Music in the early 1960s after years of repairing guitars for friends. He built homes in Texas and was happy with that line of work, but his passion was in music –and so he did both. Over the years, he had been awarded many honors from the city of Austin and from...
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...
Betty Gore, along with her husband, established Pender’s Music Company in Texas. The retail store is only one part of the company, as her husband Harold sought to find and publish every march and song by John Phillip Sousa. Betty played a key role in the large endeavor by researching the songs and...
Marvin Zoschke had dreams of being in the music business while he was a boy. After working in a piano store after World War II, Marvin had the opportunity to open a Baldwin Piano dealership and soon became one of the top dealers in the country. The Piano Center in Beaumont, Texas, has served their...
Robert Zoschke is the president of The Piano Center in Beaumont, Texas, which his father Marvin formed in 1955. Robert worked in the store on weekends and over the summers while in school and soon took a great interest in the business and the music industry. He oversaw the expansion of the store’s...
Ray Jent sought to bring service to the Lubbock, Texas, community when he opened a music retail store just after serving in World War II. Ray worked closely with the school band directors and local music teachers to ensure that his inventory and services matched their needs. He continued with this...
Neil Grant worked with Alto Tatum long enough to understand some of the magic behind the man who defined music retail in Texas. Well respected and often sought out for advice and ideas, Alto gained the reputation few have in the business. Neil felt blessed to have had such a mentor. Neil took...
Dan Strait moved his family to Austin, TX from Houston to open a Baldwin piano franchise back in 1963. The company was called Strait Piano and Organ and Dan’s motto was “Where customers become friends”. Slowly, Dan saw the opportunity to expand to a full-line music store, and in 1967 Strait Piano...
Billy Everitt grew up in the music industry beginning with weekend jobs at his father’s retail business in Dallas. Billy attended his first TMEA (Texas Music Educators Association) annual meeting in 1969 and ever one since. He became president of Brook Mays, the music retail chain formed in 1901....