Oral History - all
Juha Ruokangas is a luthier from Finland who set out to create a community of builders within Europe thus establishing the European Guitar Builders Association (EGB). Juha designed his own series of guitars in 1997, beginning with the Duke model, which was the first instrument of his own company,... more
Birth Date: September 8, 1934
Deceased Date: April 20, 2022
Guitar Shorty was born in Houston with the name David Kearney, but found fame with his nickname in the blues world beginning in the 1950s. He grew up in Florida, where he began playing gigs as a teenager. After working with the Ray Charles band and Walter Johnson, Shorty released his first... more
Bob Clearmountain is best known for his recording engineering, mixing of artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Bryan Adams, Toto, Simple Minds and The Rolling Stones. It was on Springsteen’s 1984 album “Born in the USA” for which Bob might have gained his widest audience and greatest fame. The... more
Frank Seta began his career in the music industry working for Baldwin Pianos before working for Gibson and then establishing his own retail store. Frank has built lasting friendships within the music industry due to his passion and drive; as a result, he was one of the most suggested people to be... more
Maricella Juarez, lovingly known throughout the industry as MJ, has been a positive force along side Seymour Duncan for several decades. Together they have created lasting and meaningful relationships with dealers, musicians, and even their own competition. The sincerity of her efforts to create... more
Jon Anderson is best known as a founding member of the band Yes. His musicianship, arranging and songwriting helped catapult the band to international fame with hit records and sold out performances around the world. The band has had a remarkable ability to re-create itself over the years for a... more
Honoring Ernie Lansford for his invaluable service in assisting the NAMM Resource Center in obtaining fantastic interview contributions to the NAMM Oral History Program.
This video contains some of the highlight interviews that Ernie helped us gather over the years. Thank you Ernie!
This video is of our annual NAMM Tribute, created in honor of our members and music industry friends who passed away in 2015 and early 2016. This Tribute was shown for the first time at the NAMM Show in Anaheim, California in January 2016. All moving images within this video, indicate those who... more
Celin Romero and his younger brother, Pepe Sr., have performed together as a classical guitar duo for over fifty years. They have recorded acclaimed albums and performed around the world, becoming a renowned and pioneering musical treasure. The brothers were born in Malaga, Spain to the classical... more
Pepe Romero Sr. speaks very eloquently of his passion for music because it is, as he says, part of his blood stream. Music has always been a part of his life and he takes great pride in his musical history. His father was a classical guitarist and composer and along with his brother, Celin, Pepe... more
Trond Braaten grew up in Norway, where his love for music developed at an early age. He is in many ways a product of the 1960’s, being among the many that was taken away by the British groups that changed the music at that time. Taking up guitars, as well as other instruments for his own part, as... more
James Gadson is among the most recorded drummers in history! His career began as a member of the Charles Wright band in the late 1960s and soon expanded to studio work. James can be heard on thousands of hit recordings with artists ranging from Paul McCartney to Rose Royce. His Hal Leonard DVD... more
Mike Overlin always wanted to work for Yamaha ever since being introduced to the company’s philosophy and commitment to providing excellent products and services. As an employee for over twenty years, Mike is proud to say he was right about wanting to be involved with a company that echoes many of... more
Alan Macpherson began his career working for the retailer, The Music Shoppe II in Toronto Canada. As a musician, Alan fell in love with the music industry, getting to talk gear with fellow players and working to provide the services they needed to obtain the instruments of their dreams. When Alan... more
Garth Gilman finished his MBA and through a mutual friend met Tom Sumner who provided a tour of the Yamaha offices in Buena Park. Tom, who at the time was the General Manager of the Pro Audio/Combo Division, recognized Garth’s passion for music and interest in business. The two discussed the... more
Roger Eaton recalled with a smile the day he joined the school band as a child. His first impression and the feeling of joy has never left him, which is why he has dedicated his life to providing that same opportunity to students in everything that he does. Roger’s first job in the industry was... more
Ken Dapron grew up in a very musical family. His parents were members of the pop singing group called The Merry Macs. Music was all around him as a child. Ken played saxophone and drums in school and fell in love with the guitar. He played in many bands throughout his school years with dreams... more
David Jewell remembers his brother’s snare drum sitting in the closet and wanting so much to play it. He begged his teacher, Mrs. Mandy, to join the band and after several tries, she agreed. David remarked during his NAMM Oral History interview that if she didn’t say yes, he probably would not be... more
Chuck Berghofer is the answer to such trivia questions as Who played bass on Nancy Sinatra's big hit "These Boots Where Made For Walking" and Who is playing the bass lick for the TV theme song for "Barney Miller." Chuck has been a mainstay in the Los Angeles studios since the 1960s and worked with... more
Steve Gadd has a long and strong friendship with the music products industry going back to his first visit to a music store as a kid and his long career as a product endorser and NAMM guest! However, it’s his influence as a drummer and clinician that has placed Steve as an important inspiration to... more