Oral History - all
Birth Date: April 27, 1936
Deceased Date: April 1, 2016
Dick Knaub served as president of the Rico Reed Corp. during the 1970s. He oversaw the reed manufacturer’s expansion into magazine advertisements and the company’s return to industry events such as the NAMM show. Dick was a proud supporter of the American Music Conference and served as president of... more
Jim Kidder had already worked in music retail for several years when he was given the chance to take over the band instrument division and form his own business. Since then, Kidder Music has become well known and beloved by students and band directors alike. Jim’s strong support for school programs... more
Birth Date: May 5, 1929
Deceased Date: October 31, 2016
Ziggy Kanstul knew more about brass instruments than most people. As an important part of the manufacturing end of the FE Olds Company, Ziggy became an expert on model designs, the specifications for each and every product, and the measurements of the horns made by their competitors. He later... more
Nancy Higgins and her husband opened a small music shop in 1965. It was a very good year to start. The Beatles had invaded the United States and nearly every child you met wanted to play music. Bill Higgins Music, outside Baltimore, Maryland, grew over the years and Nancy worked every aspect of the... more
Bill Higgins enjoyed the country and hillbilly music he heard growing up. He surrounded himself with music his entire life. In 1965, Bill and his wife Nancy, opened Bill Higgins Music just south of Baltimore in Catonsville, Maryland. The store expanded over the years to include teaching, instrument... more
Birth Date: April 24, 1921
Deceased Date: July 25, 2013
Carl Henderson opened his first piano store in Covington, KY in 1963, after nearly 20 years in the finance business. In the early days he struggled to increase his inventory but ensured that he always allowed a budget for advertising. Over the years his newspaper and TV ads have not only helped... more
Birth Date: December 31, 1929
Deceased Date: September 16, 2019
Bob Hale had a long and successful career as an engineer and was able to devote his retirement time to his passion for music as a docent at the NAMM Foundation’s Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, CA. Bob soon became the museum expert on the electronic music displays and began training new... more
Birth Date: September 8, 1930
Deceased Date: June 22, 2013
Harold Gore was a proud “march nut” as he often proclaimed. A former band director with a passion for the music of John Phillip Sousa and of other composers, Harold was well known throughout the music publishing industry for his love of the music and for always having a story to tell. Harold bought... more
Pete Gamber, the president of Alta Loma Music in Southern California, has been one of the leaders in educating music retailers to provide successful and profitable lesson programs in their stores. His passion has led to a regular column in Music Inc. and his widely successful NAMMU sessions during... more
Don Freeman’s father established the Freeman Decorating Company in 1927. By the 1960s, when Don became president, there were several other service companies under the title of Freeman, so they became known as Freeman Companies right about the time they were hired to assist with the development of... more
Richard Floyd, whose school bands have performed all over the country including at the Midwest Band Clinic, is among the best known Texas bandmasters. He has developed programs and materials that have been a tremendous help to up-and-coming directors. The Texas Bandmasters Association named Richard... more
Robert Fletcher served as the chairman of the NAMM Board of Directors the first time the position title was changed from president to chairman. As an industry leader Bob developed the Fletcher Music Centers into a successful chain with a strong focus on customer service and lesson programs. Bob was... more
Birth Date: February 20, 1934
Deceased Date: July 22, 2020
Phyllis Fender was married to Leo Fender, the great pioneer of the solid body electric guitar. After reading several publications on his life’s work, it was a refreshing treat to hear about the man behind the workbench when Mrs. Fender sat down for her NAMM Oral History interview in 2003. She... more
Joan Ellman and her husband, Gil, established Ellman’s Music Center in 1958. Five years later the store moved to Naperville, Illinois, where it is located today. Joan kept the books and inventory as well as managing the store when Gil would call on schools and travel for industry meetings. She has... more
Birth Date: August 28, 1925
Deceased Date: April 30, 2010
Gil Ellman grew up in the big band era, loving the sounds of large orchestras. He was motivated to create as many opportunities for students to make music as possible. He studied band instrument repair before opening Ellman’s Music Center in 1958. Soon after the store opened Gil began creating his... more
Sidney Davis took over the Musical Merchandise Review (MMR) trade magazine in the 1980s. Originally the magazine began reporting on the industry in the 1880s and has become an important resource for suppliers and retailers alike. Sid hired the magazine’s first editor, Don Johnson, who was with the... more
Birth Date: August 29, 1923
Deceased Date: October 19, 2010
Ed Cranley was surrounded by his devoted family when he was interviewed in July 2005. He spoke with pride of his role in expanding the Willis Music Company and the fact that his son now runs the business. He also told of his impressive career as a baseball pitcher, but perhaps took the greatest... more
Hayden Connor is very proud of his family’s long association with the Carl Fischer music publishing company in New York. His father and late brother were among the strong company leaders that helped establish the large catalog for which they are widely known. However, it was Hayden who... more
Jack Coffey is the founder of Coffey Music in Massachusetts. Coffey Music was a one-store operation that later grew to a chain of retail stores noted for their music lessons and attention to details. As a leader in the industry, Jack held many key positions within a number of organizations,... more
Brian Chung grew up surrounded by music and played piano at an early age. He earned an MBA and worked at ATT before returning to music. Brian wrote film scores using MIDI in the early 1980s, but injured his arm. As he wondered what he would do until his arm recovered, he applied and got a job at... more