Oral History - all
Catherine Poruba and Barbara Gard are the only children of former NAMM CEO William Gard (1915-1987). Mr. Gard’s legacy is strongly remembered and archived by the people who worked with him over his long career. His daughters added vital background facts and family stories behind the man who built... more
Marvin Lamb was looking for a job in 1958 and found an opening at the Gibson
Guitar Company in Kalamazoo. “This was right at the time of the boom in the
industry and it was a great time to get started.” A year later he met
James Deurloo and along with J. P. Moats, they stayed with Gibson until... more
Gary Kahler had an idea to add improvements to the electric guitar when he started playing in the 1960s. Over the years he developed a tremolo system that provided different sounds and adjustments to the instrument. He formed the Kahler Company and began manufacturing the tremolo bridge system that... more
William Gerien is the industrial and mechanical engineer who invented the Kahler Tremolo Bridge System for the electric guitar. Gary Kahler hired William to follow his design on a new system to add a tremolo or whammy bar to the guitar’s bridge. William machined the very first prototype and created... more
Birth Date: April 23, 1932
Deceased Date: January 26, 2019
Don Gayle served as a technical writer for Shure for three decades, after a long and distinguished career as a professor of literature. While at Shure, Don’s language skills were key to the quality of materials for instructing customers in the use of each product. These materials remain a well-... more
Barbara Gard and Catherine Poruba are the only children of former NAMM CEO William Gard (1915-1987). Mr. Gard’s legacy is strongly remembered and archived by the people who worked with him over his long career. His daughters added vital background facts and family stories behind the man who built... more
Steven Fry pioneered electronic cataloging as music librarian for UCLA. He brought his love of music and people together when he revived the then-fading Southern California chapter of the Music Library Association. The chapter was formed in 1947, however, when its founders retired and passed away,... more
Birth Date: December 31, 1944
Deceased Date: December 18, 2014
John Fry was the founder of Ardent Records and a noted recording engineer with a special talent for sound mixing and studio sound control. The results of his efforts are enough to fill several walls with gold and platinum records from the likes of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Led Zeppelin. John was also... more
Birth Date: July 25, 1940
Deceased Date: November 13, 2014
Jerry Freed began working in the music industry along with Tommy Moore. Together they promoted percussive instruments for schools and built Kasuga International in the 1960s. Jerry later created Freed International before deciding to concentrate on instrument case products. When he launched Gator... more
Gary Forkum had the idea of setting up a small percussion display in the back closet of Corner Music where he was working. The drum department grew so much that Corner Music owner Larry Garris and Gary decided it might be best if he opened his own drum store. Gary opened Fork’s Drum Closet in... more
French Forbes II is the grandson of the founder of the Forbes Piano and Organ Company. E. E. Forbes (Ernest Erastus) formed the company in 1889 by selling pianos from the back of his horse-drawn carriage. His son oversaw the Birmingham, Alabama, based company during the Great Depression and French... more
Dave Fletcher was born into a music family. His father developed the Fletcher Music Centers and his brother Robert (a NAMM Past President) expanded the business along with Dave to become one of the most significant forces in piano and organ sales in the decades following the great organ boom of the... more
Larry Fishman had an idea to create an electronic pick up for the upright string bass. The task was not an easy one. In fact, others had tried and failed to produce the correct balance of electronic tones within the range of the strings. However, Fishman was able to do just that. The success of the... more
Birth Date: December 8, 1929
Deceased Date: June 10, 2015
Herbert Fischbach spent his entire working career in the design and crafting of brass musical instruments. As was the tradition in the German village of Markneukirchen, Herbert studied the fine craftsmanship that was handed down from generation to generation, and then handed down his techniques to... more
Birth Date: July 8, 1928
Deceased Date: March 31, 2018
Roy Fawcett was very successful when it came to thinking outside of the box. Unlike most retailers, Roy has not advertised his products and services in the yellow pages or in the newspaper. In fact, Roy didn't even have a sign outside of his store. Roy built his entire business on the... more
Michael Faulhaber has successfully carried on the legacy of his father who was the early passion behind Ward-Brodt Music Company in Wisconsin. The store has earned an important place in the history of the industry for a string of unique programs and product lines over the years, but may be best... more
Janet Faulhaber has always had a special interest in the sheet music department of the Ward-Brodt Music Company in Wisconsin. Janet and her husband purchased the store and have expanded the product line and involvement in community music programs for several decades. When their son, Mick, returned... more
Larry Fast is best known as the innovative keyboardist and synthesizer composer who helped bring electronic musical instruments into pop music, beginning in the 1970s. His Synergy series of synthesizer music albums beginning in 1975 brought great popularity to the instruments, which were being... more
Don Eubanks has made a lot of friends in the music business! His honesty and humor have endeared him to many over the years, but perhaps what sets Don apart from others is his willingness to try something new. When he had the chance to buy the Symmes Music Store in Chamblee, Georgia, he decided to... more
Birth Date: May 20, 1928
Deceased Date: August 6, 2022
LaRoy Edwards was the celebrated piano technician who began his long association with Yamaha back in 1961, the year before the company officially entered the United States market. Along the way he helped create the bond assurance program for retailers to track customer satisfaction, and the Little... more