Oral History - all
John Decker had the idea of building a guitar without wood, no wood at all. In the era of limited wood supply and growing technology, John experimented with a host of materials before deciding that a very good sounding guitar could be made from graphite. John formed the Rain Song Guitar Company in... more
Leonardo Baldocci is the President of EMD Music, Inc., a European music wholesaler and distributor that specialize in guitars, drums and percussion instruments, wind instruments, cymbals and accessories. EMD is located in Brussels and sells products to more than 2500 music retailers via two... more
Birth Date: July 20, 1923
Deceased Date: July 19, 2012
K. Ethel Merker was asked by the Holton Company to create the now popular Merker French horn. Her career has included acclaimed symphonic performances, radio and TV jingle work, and several well-known music education programs over the years. Her list of accomplishments is even made more impressive... more
Birth Date: May 9, 1912
Deceased Date: May 17, 2010
Professor Fritz Sennheiser was the head of an engineering team of German scientists assembled right after World War II to improve the function of the electronic microphone. Using his innovative designs, Fritz developed the first product line and formed a company called Sennheiser. Since its... more
Billy Shaw and his wife Donna opened Desert Piano in Palm Springs after working in a series of piano sales jobs, including one at Colton Piano where the couple met. Billy is well known in the industry as a creative salesman and the inventor of the Piano Bar, which was introduced in the 1980s. He... more
Chris Meyer grew up during the dawn of the synthesizer and wanted to both play and create electronic music. He earned a degree in engineering to pay for his hobby never realizing he could apply both passions as an electronic engineer. He began work at Sequential Circuits in 1984 just as Dave Smith... more
Roger White’s cousin opened a small music store in Waukesha, Wisconsin, in 1955. His brother, Jerry, ran the store beginning in 1961 and changed the name to the White House of Music. Roger joined his brother as a salesman in 1967. Roger had the vision to grow and develop the school music business... more
Birth Date: December 13, 1921
Deceased Date: January 20, 2011
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... more
Norm Zimmerman began his career in the industry with Steve’s Music in Canada, where he remains as the store’s sheet music buyer. Norm grew up working in his father’s general store, providing Norm with great experiences as a buyer and in training employees. Norm joined the music chain of three music... more
Birth Date: February 3, 1919
Deceased Date: May 11, 2011
Snooky Young was given his first trumpet from the local junk man who saw he had an interest in music, but whose family could not afford the expense. The gift served him well as young Snooky went on to record with the famous 1939 Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra, Count Basie, Gerald Wilson and Lionel... more
Birth Date: February 2, 1941
Masani Yanagisawa’s father formed the Pearl Drum Company in Japan just after World War II. Masani applied his marketing knowledge to assist in the growth and development of the company. Working with his brother, who served as president, they built the brand name out of a pure OEM business to become... more
Birth Date: February 23, 1944
Deceased Date: July 16, 2014
Johnny Winter has become an important link between classic blues artists and modern audiences. Johnny’s blues style stays fresh and current while playing the important standards by artists such as Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker. Johnny began performing at an early age with his younger brother,... more
Robert Wilson formed his first rock and roll band when he was 14. He played the blues for a living while creating a large list of friends, many of whom encouraged him to sell them instruments. The rest, as they say, is history. Rob is very active in UK and US trades of musical instruments. For 19... more
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... more
Birth Date: November 9, 1925
Deceased Date: June 29, 2015
Henry Wickham knew the secret of a good sounding piano, the cast iron plates. For decades Henry was the president of the Wickham Piano Company in Ohio, where many of the plates for Steinway and other companies were created. It was Henry Z. Steinway who strongly suggested to the NAMM staff that Mr.... more
Birth Date: April 23, 1938
Deceased Date: April 1, 2022
Roland White played the mandolin as far back as he could remember. Influenced by the Bluegrass and Country Music he heard as a boy, Roland created his own unique style, which has been a major influence on generations of musicians and students. Roland was interested in the methods and techniques of... more
Larry Westland set out to give a few music students a chance to play. He worked long and hard to gain support to create the Music for Youth School Programs in the UK, which was established in 1971. During enrollment in the Fall 2005 program, the two millionth student got the chance to make music.... more
Bitsie Werlein was the last president of the famed Werlein’s For Music in New Orleans. When its doors closed in 2003 it was the nation’s oldest operating music retailer. The company was established in 1862 during the Civil War when the Union Navy blockaded New Orleans harbor. During her years as... more
Birth Date: February 1, 1927
Deceased Date: October 19, 2016
Saul Walker’s career in the field of electronics went back to the early sound designs before World War II. As an engineer he was trained in the United States Navy and worked on several important projects including early sound recordings and the use of what would become transistor technology. Saul... more
Birth Date: March 25, 1934
Deceased Date: June 9, 2010
Kees van Willigen opened a music shop in Holland in 1968. As an accordion player he specialized in the instrument and soon gained a world-wide reputation for his product line and customer service. Kees (pronounced Case) witnessed the boom of the accordion in the 1950s and 60s, its decline in the... more