Library - In Memoriam
Remembering oral history interviewees who have passed away.
Hugh Martin was a great American songwriter who teamed with Ralph Blane at the end of the golden age of Tin Pan Alley to give us such classics as “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “The Trolley Song” and “The Girl Next Door.” As a tunesmith, Hugh worked on Broadway, for th
Floyd Hershberger along with his wife Joyce had the dream of opening their own small music store and running it as a family business. The store was established in 1956 in Nebraska and is now being run by their son Brad.
James Johnson was first and foremost a band director -- a well respected one at that! He opened Mississippi Music while still teaching and soon became involved with a long list of industry organizations.
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.
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Margaret Whiting was a popular singer who had a number of hit recordings in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Jac Winroth was born with a handicap that his mother insisted would never limit her son.
Dick Richardson was working with the Lyons Band Instrument Company in Chicago in the early 1960s when he was given the chance to run the Musser vibraphone division of the company. Dick become president and soon expanded the product line, bring on key endorsers such as Lionel Ham
Billy Taylor was first and foremost a jazz pianist. This fact might surprise some people who knew Billy best for one of a number of other careers he enjoyed in music, including teaching, composing and advocating for music education.
James Moody and his saxophone graced many NAMM Shows over the decades and was a good friend to many within the industry. He was often seen strolling the show floor and encountering friends with a smile at nearly every step.
Zeb Billings opened Billings Pianos in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1956 beginning a long and celebrated career in the music industry.