Women in the Music Industry
Elisabeth Link, wife of Horst Link, played an important role in the success of Sonor - a company synonymous with quality percussion instruments. For many years, a critical part of the product palette has been the Orff Schulwerk instruments, which are used in classrooms all over the world. Elisabeth...
Cathy MacLaughlin started learning to play guitar when she was only 8 years old, taking lessons from her brother on his Hofner guitar which was purchased from Rushworth's on the Wirral across the Mersey river made famous by Gerry and the Pacemakers in the movie Ferry Across the Mersey. When she was...
Essra Mohawk wrote songs since she was a little girl! She learned the ability to express the feelings so many of us have about love and happiness using music. Her songs have been recorded by artists such as Tina Turner, the Shangri-Las, Vanilla Fudge and Cyndi Lauper, among others. She wrote and...
Gail Davies was the first female Record Producer in Nashville. In 1973, she was encouraged to run her own sessions by Henry Lewy (1926-2008). It was not easy to establish herself as a producer, but she was determined. As a result, Gail has assisted the careers of hundreds of artists over the years...
Anne Fennell knew she wanted to be involved with music from a very young age. Learning to read music was difficult for her and yet, she was not discouraged. Despite these roadblocks, Anne was able to make her dream come true by teaching herself to read music. The experience empowered her to learn...
Dr. Merryl Goldberg grew up inspired by music. Her parents wanted her to learn guitar, but she always had a soft spot in her heart for the saxophone and would sneak in lessons whenever possible. Eventually, her parents gave in, and after graduation, Merryl launched a 13-year career preforming with...
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...
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...
Brenda Lust has spent much of her 20+ year career at Mississippi Music solving problems. With a background in accounting, Brenda came to Mississippi Music in 1992 working her way from the mailroom to the accounting department. Along the way she has worked on many special projects to help with the...
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,...