Oral History - all
Dieter Kühnl is the president of Kuhnl & Hoyer. The brass instrument company (name a horn and chances are they have made it) began after World War II in the small town of Markterlbach, near Neustradt an der Aisch, Germany. Dietor recalls with pride working with his grandfather and father in... more
Walther Krüger was the chief scientist at the music instrument institute in Markneukirchen Germany before his retirement in the 1980s. His specialty was research on the acoustics of instruments to improve their design and production through mathematical measurements and consistency. His research... more
Tom Kowalczyk served a long post as the artist relations director at Kurzweil Music. Tom had begun his career in music retail in the 1970s and became an expert on electronic keyboards as a salesman and musician. Ray Kurzweil, the company founder and instrument innovator, hired Tom to assist with... more
Birth Date: February 7, 1936
Deceased Date: January 4, 2023
Martin Konig’s father, Karl, partnered with Erich Meyer in 1949 to create a wholesale business in which their first products were music stands. Soon the Germany-based company grew to not only supply music accessories created by other companies, they began producing their own products such as... more
Arthur Knopp is the founder of the music retail shop in Germany that carries his name (Musihaus Arthur Knopp in Saarbrucken). His passion for the industry has not only made his own store a success, but has resulted in many positions in a variety of organizations that have assisted in the growth and... more
Steve Klein is a guitar luthier’s luthier! As a pioneer and innovator in the methods and tools of guitar building and designer, Steve has maintained focus on the elements of his craft which has driven his passion since he was a teenager. He refers to his guitars as “friends” and looks after them... more
Birth Date: October 5, 1935
Deceased Date: February 5, 2019
George Klein first met Elvis Presley when the two attended Humes High School in Memphis. Over the years, George became one of Elvis’ closest friends. He was a part of many of the King’s important moments. George appeared in the 1957 film “Jailhouse Rock,” was a groomsman during Elvis’ wedding in... more
Eileen Kilday and her husband worked hard to re-build an old piano bench making company, which they renamed GRK. This project for the Kilday’s began in 1988 with the purchase of the old company and since that time both have been regular exhibitors at the NAMM Show as well as at other industry... more
Gary Kilday took a chance on an old piano bench maker in 1988 that had fallen on hard times. Since that time the company, renamed GRK, has kept the tradition of customer service and quality product that traces back to the original business, the Manual Arts Furniture Corporation formed in 1915.... more
Andrew Kemble’s grandfather established the Kemble Piano Company and started a family tradition that Andrew carries on today. The pianos became an important product within the European market and the company was respected for conveying family values not only in their interviews but in their... more
Patrick Kelly was the youngest of eight children raised in Western Scotland. His sisters played piano and he had an interest in playing the guitar. His passion led him to pursue a dream of being a rock star. While playing with his bands, he rented PA systems on the side, which led to friends asking... more
Birth Date: September 22, 1945
Deceased Date: February 24, 2012
Gerhard Keilwerth grew up loving the saxophone and dreaming of building his own line, which of course he did do to international success. The Keilwerth name has been synonymous with innovations in brass instruments for over 40 years. The company introduced the black finish on such noted products as... more
Birth Date: March 25, 1926
Deceased Date: April 8, 2020
Bunny Kacher began volunteering at the NAMM Foundation’s Museum of Making Music in 2002 as part of the second docent training class (the museum opened in 2000). Her love of music is easy to detect when taking one of her tours at the museum and, in fact, that love of music goes back to her days as a... more
Henry Juszkiewicz, Gibson Guitar Corporation’s former CEO, attended the Rainforest Alliance’s annual gala concert in 1994, where he first heard about the SmartWood program. He realized by teaming with environmentally friendly operations, Gibson could sustain its wood supply for a longer period of... more
Jim Hughart was born into a family of professional musicians and is proud of the many musical experiences he had growing up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Right after graduation from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Theory, Jim was drafted into the Army. For two years, he... more
Jim McDowell was one of the first presidents of NAYMM (the National Association of Young Music Merchants) and served on the NAMM Board of Directors just as his father, Robert McDowell, had done for over two decades. Jim also ran the St. Louis based retail store, which was first established by his... more
Linda McDowell proudly watched as her father was installed as president of the NAMM Board of Directors in 1970. It was a time of change and, under Robert McDowell’s leadership, programs were created with a goal of increasing the number of music makers. Since her father's passing in 2007, Linda does... more
Birth Date: September 21, 1923
Deceased Date: June 17, 2012
Jim McEvoy apprenticed as a piano technician in his native Ireland in 1946. The following decade he and his bride moved to San Diego, CA where he worked at a local music store before opening McEvoy Music. The store had a well-respected sheet music department, which was originally created by Jim and... more
Fred Melk was born the year his father and grandfather (Philip Sr and Jr) opened a small instrument repair shop in Milwaukee, WI. The year was 1956. Fred’s father became one of the country’s foremost authorities on band instruments and repair. In the days before NAPBIRT and other organizations... more
Birth Date: June 25, 1943
Deceased Date: October 20, 2016
Mo Meloy-Palmateer purchased the Fullerton Music Center in Southern California in the early 70s. She soon expanded the store’s services to include greater attention to the sheet music department and lessons. During the 1980s, she added a well-respected boutique element to the store, selling music... more