Women in the Music Industry
Suzi Quatro was six years old when she saw Elvis Presley perform on the Ed Sullivan Show and had what she calls her “lightbulb moment,” knowing that was what she was going to do with her life. She started playing bass at 14 when her sisters formed an all-female garage band called The Pleasure...
Cindy Singer met her future husband, Danny, when they were young kids. They began dating in their late teens and were married soon after. Inspired by their love of dancing and music, they purchased a dance studio with a small music store in 1977. The store began with only a few instruments but soon...
Leslie Buttonow has dedicated her career to the marketing and promotion of several iconic brands in the music industry. She has worked hard to develop new programs and campaigns to bring attention to the products companies she’s worked for, that her clients, including KORG, Marshall and Vox, create...
Denise Gallant designed a video-audio synthesizer that was years ahead of its time. Her love of visual art and music blended perfectly together when she and her husband, Kevin Monahan, formed their production company Video 4. She has worked with Peter Rodgers and at Zoom Audio and fell in love with...
Ellen White did not work in the music store her husband Jerry operated for many years and yet her supportive role helped that little retail business grow into the White House of Music chain consisting of multiple locations. Both Jerry and Ellen were teaching when Jerry decided to join his cousin in...
Diane Johnson, who was born in Brooklyn, was living on Madison Avenue when she landed a job at Music Merchandise Review (MMR). The magazine’s office was located just around the corner on Lexington Avenue so Diane could walk to work each day. She served as the Office Manager for MMR from 1979 until...
Crystal Taliefero is primarily a percussionist, yet she plays many other instruments including the bass and several wind instruments. In 1986, she began her long association with LP, her first endorsement, and since that time has also promoted Sabian Cymbals and ProMark Drum Sticks. While touring...
Marjorie Jones and her husband opened the Bill Jones Music store in Knoxville, Tennessee back in 1973. She joined Bill full-time in 1989 after raising their children, and in 2011, Marjorie became the manager of their music lessons. Over the years, she has developed deep relationships with their...
Helen Meyer, Co-Founder of Meyer Sound in Berkeley California, remembers attending a rock concert while still dating John Meyer (whom she later married). John turned to Helen and told her he thought he could make a better system. It wasn’t long before the company was formed and like John, Helen...
Dr. Susanne Schnitzer shares her memories growing up in the Kirschnek family. Grandfather Franz Krischnek, founder of Kirschnek String Instruments, was a businessman with worldwide connections (many of them to the United States) while his daughter Ilse Fischer managed the rest. She took the...