Oral History - all
Bakithi Kumalo grew up in South Africa where he began playing the saxophone. He later switched to the bass guitar and worked hard to perfect his style so that he could performe live and in area recording studios. He often waited outside the studios for the chance to fill in if a musician did not... more
Dewey Kuhn grew up listening to his grandmother playing the organ, which she did in her younger days accompanying silent movies. His passion grew as he learned to play. Dewey worked with the men who would later form Hal Leonard Publishing Company, with organ man Crane Bodine, and with Baldwin... more
Bob King worked at Hal’s Music in Mountain View, California after returning from Vietnam in the early 1970s. He was introduced to the wholesaling side of the industry and soon gained a job as a rep for Coast Wholesale. He stayed with the company for over 20 years and was there when Kaman Music... more
Ken Kantor is the president of ZT Amplifiers and the inventor of the compact amp technology used in such products as The Lunchbox and The Club. His long career in music began when he was about ten years old and built his own tube amplifier. Ken wrote, played and recorded his own music and along... more
Sarah Glew began her career in the music industry by selling records in a small store just south of San Francisco in Pacifica, California. Over time she added musical instruments and found that guitars were a great seller in the heyday of the Beatles and the British Rock Invasion. As the store... more
David Garibaldi is the innovative drummer for Tower of Power and a much respected clinician well known throughout the world. He joined the group in 1970 just as they signed Bill Graham on as their manager. Before long the group was recording and landed several hits on the charts. David’s skills... more
David Thomas is the second tenor for the singing group Take 6. He joined the group only five years after they were formed and soon became an important element in their unique sound. During their career the group has sold millions of recordings and has won countless awards including ten Grammy... more
Claude McKnight formed an a cappella quartet on the campus of Oakwood College in 1980. The group signed with Warner Brothers Records seven years later and has since sold millions of recordings and won countless awards including ten Grammy Awards. The group has been active in music advocacy... more
Mark Kibble is the first tenor for the singing group Take 6, which he formed along with Claude McKnight, in 1980. Mark has played an important role in the development of the group’s sound not only as a vocalist but as an arranger. During their career the group has sold millions of recordings and... more
Joey Kibble is the second tenor for the singing group Take 6. He joined the group in 1991, following his brother Mark, who was a founding member. During their career the group has sold millions of recordings and has won countless awards including ten Grammy Awards. The group has been active in... more
Victor Wooten has become an active music advocate and spokesperson for the importance of music education in public schools. As a result, Victor has become a regular NAMM Show attendee. He created an initiative for 10 "natural" training camps around the country including one called "Wooten Woods... more
Judy Gage was the key inspiration for her husband to open his own workshop to create bass instruments, which was a dream of his. Judy ran the business side and David made the instruments by day, and by night they helped to grow the musical talent in and around New York with their passion and love... more
David Gage is a string-bass luthier who is known within the industry as the man who listens not only to music but to the musicians, to produce the instrument that bests works for each player. His devotion to his customers pushed him into wanting to do the best he could in design and in craftwork... more
Benny Englund was a rock and roll singer as a teen when he fell in love with the music industry! He toured with groups as a roadie and sound engineer. He also worked for a time for a few record companies and traveled with groups such as the Hollies with Graham Nash and the Rolling Stones. Benny... more
Scott Emmerman began taking guitar lessons in his hometown of Chicago when he was five years old. As a musician he toured and recorded with different bands and landed some great gigs, including, ironically enough, as a Boss demo artist at the 1979 NAMM show! He later was hired by Roland as a sales... more
Khristian Dentley is the baritone for the singing group Take 6. The group was formed in 1980 and Khristian joined the group in 2011. During their career the group has sold millions of recordings and has won countless awards including ten Grammy Awards. The group has been active in music advocacy... more
John DeChristopher was playing in a band when he would visit the EU Wurlitzer Music Store in Boston. Those early store visits for gear led to a job and John’s introduction to the music products industry. John joined the Zildjian Company in 1989 and created a wonderful reputation as the VP of... more
Arnold Davidson was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa where he began playing in area bands. He was given the opportunity to distribute the strings he special ordered from England and found himself in the music products business. He later opened his own wholesale firm, based largely on... more
Ed Cohen was booking and managing musical acts and even playing saxophone in a band when he first heard Dave Biro’s innovative synthesizer. This was in the early 1970s. Ed worked with Dave to establish a way to produce these instruments, which Dave proudly called the BiroTron. Ed played a vital... more
Ed Cornett was hired by Yamaha to head the team in charge of creating the DX7. His story of the long hours, creative and innovative team members and the support of the company uncover the key elements that came together to create one of the most successful musical instruments of its time. Ed grew... more