Oral History - all
Birth Date: February 27, 1942
Deceased Date: June 14, 2015
Peter Paul Prier began playing the violin when he was 8 years old, growing up in Germany. He studied violin making while he was a teenager and in 1959 set out to America to open his own violin shop. Within five years he formed what is now the Peter Paul Prier Violin Shop in Salt Lake City. In 1972... more
John Riddle plays a vital role in the NAMM Trade Show and has for decades. His strong relationships with exhibiting companies is proof of his dedication for customer service when providing care for NAMM members, all the while ensuring that they adhere to the rules and regulations. Walking the show... more
Birth Date: January 25, 1921
Deceased Date: December 3, 2013
George Riley is an embodiment of the passion so often found in the music products industry. George worked side by side the founder of Electro-Voice, Al Kahn, during the major expansion years following World War II. The company grew as a result of creative and innovative products, and George helped... more
Yukio Sakurai studied photography and art at the university in Tokyo before his uncle asked if Yukio would come to work for him. His uncle was the founder of the Japan Music Trade Magazine and Yukio was very interested to work in the music industry, which in publishing required his training as an... more
Birth Date: August 10, 1922
Deceased Date: April 27, 2018
Johannes Scherzer was a world-renowned master trumpet maker who spent much of his long career with JA Musik Group in Markneukirchen, Germany. His passion for the instrument contributed to innovative designs and an increase in the JA product line. While focusing on improving methods and procedures... more
Birth Date: August 6, 1925
Deceased Date: December 17, 2013
Leland Smith was the renowned founder of computerized musical notation. He came to symbolize the technological changes in print music beginning in the 1960s. His work as a professor and educator has resulted in a method for computers to read and process musical notes. The field of computer science... more
Birth Date: September 1, 1933
Deceased Date: February 25, 2018
Peter B. Smith was a composer and publisher who began his career as a musician in the Royal Army Ordinance Corps, later joining the Coldstream Guards and eventually the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars. Working as a Flutist, he collaborated with the BBC for broadcasts and recordings in the 1960s. In... more
Dr. Peter Hanser Strecker’s great grandfather worked for a descendent of the Schott’s Music Publishing empire. As president of the firm since 1968, Dr. Strecker has played a key role in the technological changes required to ensure growth and success in a new world of publishing. Computers and the... more
Al Sturchio has served the Texas Bandmasters Association for over 25 years as director and also as president. His passion and unbelievable energy has been a large part of the success of the association’s annual meeting and exhibit fair. The yearly program includes sessions and clinics as well as an... more
Mitsuru Umemura is the eleventh President of the Yamaha Corporation. During his NAMM Oral History interview he provided details about the development of Yamaha beginning in 1887. He likes to explain the four main elements of Yamaha’s rich history beginning with the craftsmanship of instrument-... more
Thomas Veerkamp proudly represents the 100-year-old company in Mexico that was formed by his grandfather in 1908. The company began as a small retail store and later expanded to one of the most respected music wholesalers in the world. Thomas grew up in the business and took an interest in the... more
Carol Warden learned all she knows about the music industry from her mother and father who opened Dale Music Company in Silver Springs, MD. Over the years she has built on the lessons she learned from her mother about expanding the store’s products and the great care and service the store’s staff... more
H. P. Wilfer inherited the passion and drive of his father who formed the Framus Guitar Company. After hard times and his father’s retirement, H. P. bought back the company to bring the many innovative and popular products back to market. H. P. did so through the success of his Warwick Bass Company... more
Birth Date: October 27, 1934
Deceased Date: February 16, 2017
Josef Lausman proudly followed in his family’s footsteps. In the small German village of Nauheim (near Frankfurt) he made mouthpieces, primarily for trumpets and trombones for many years until his retirement. The small factory may not be well known to players by name, however, since their products... more
Stephen “Doc” Kupka met Emilio Castillo in July, 1968, and discovered they both had a dream to form a rock and roll band with a strong horn element. By the end of the year the band began touring and was discovered by Bill Graham two years later when the Tower of Power recorded their first album,... more
Shuji Ito began his career with Yamaha Corporation in 1965 and has since held a series of positions in Japan, the United States and in Europe including managing director and senior managing director. He served as president and representative director for Yamaha from 2000 until 2007. Mr. Ito has... more
Birth Date: March 14, 1946
Deceased Date: January 31, 2017
Haruhiko Ikebe developed a novel way of approaching music retailing, creating Super Pro Shops that stock vintage and new instruments along with accessories and knowledgeable sales staff for a very specific item. In other words, Mr. Ikebe created a saxophone store, a guitar store, a flute store and... more
Birth Date: September 4, 1922
Deceased Date: October 13, 2013
Bob Greene made a name for himself as he expanded the legacy of Jelly Roll Morton. Growing up in New York and playing piano from an early age, Bob became a well-known jazz performer whose style was influenced by the composer and jazz pioneer, Jelly Roll Morton. Even decades after Morton’s passing,... more
Birth Date: June 29, 1941
Deceased Date: December 31, 2013
Bobby Gordon, the jazz clarinetist who helped expand the New Orleans traditions to audiences around the world, was interviewed alongside his long time friend Bob Greene. The two men reunited for an interview and to play together at the NAMM Foundation’s Museum of Making Music in 2008. For decades,... more
Birth Date: November 7, 1930
Deceased Date: March 8, 2013
William Fuller began working as a salesman for the Wurlitzer Company in 1953. His original idea was to gain some sales training and look for a job in the office, which was based in his hometown of DeKalb, Ill. William really enjoyed traveling to dealers throughout his territory, which changed... more