Oral History - all
Bill Kaman served as president of Kaman Music Corporation, a company started by his father. Under Bill’s direction, Kaman Music expanded its product line, developed overseas markets, and acquired new companies to be managed under the corporation. In addition, he has also insisted on new and... more
Birth Date: October 24, 1920
Deceased Date: March 23, 2015
Mac Johnson, as she is known throughout the music industry, was the devoted wife of Mississippi Music founder Jimmy Johnson. She was also the mother of their sons, Bix and Dex, both of whom are involved in the music products industry. Mac worked in the store as a salesperson and played a vital role... more
Birth Date: August 10, 1916
Deceased Date: February 1, 2011
James Johnson was first and foremost a band director -- a well respected one at that! He opened Mississippi Music while still teaching and soon became involved with a long list of industry organizations. He added his insight and knowledge as President of NAMM, President of AMC, and as an honored... more
George Hines began his music retail store, George’s Music, outside of Philadelphia, PA, in 1977. Since that time, he has been devoted to the industry that he entered out of passion for music and music makers. As his store grew, so did George’s commitment to his customers. He founded a local blues... more
Birth Date: December 20, 1919
Deceased Date: May 10, 2005
Dr. Robert Freeland was among this country’s first to earn a PhD in music librarianship. He worked for the Henry Ford Library and was noted for his national column on classic recording reviews. Dr. Freeland was a charter member of the Music Library Association (MLA) in Southern California in 1947... more
Roger Cox began his career at Ampeg in Linden, NJ. At Ampeg he served as Vice President of Operations responsible for Quality, Manufacturing, Service, and Research and Development. During his time at Ampeg, Roger fathered the Ampeg SVT which is still in production. After two years at Altec Lansing... more
Jeannie Cheatham played roots music before anyone was calling it that. She grew up on church music, and progressed to the blues in a time and place where black women were encouraged to express their emotions through music. Jeannie was there when rhythm and blues became popular and played her own... more
Michael Balter discovered, as a percussionist for many stage and symphonic orchestras, that he could create his own sounds by adjusting or wrapping his mallets. He slowly began designing his own mallets for himself and friends, until it was clear that he had his own business. Over the years the... more
Birth Date: May 18, 1930
Deceased Date: May 10, 2009
Heribert Glassl had two musical loves, the tuba and the cello. While it may seem like a strange pairing, Mr. Glassl made it work. In fact, after a long career in musical instrument making, the tuba and cello are the only products he produced in his small German factory. As founder of the Musik... more
Birth Date: February 6, 1920
Deceased Date: May 23, 2019
Richard Janda specialized in repairing stringed instruments. It was also something he enjoyed very much. During World War II he was trained to repair the band instruments for the U.S. Military marching band, in which he was the trombonist. After the war he sought to add to that education while... more
Birth Date: December 7, 1919
Deceased Date: March 23, 2009
Jack Javens loved the piano business and became one of the industry’s quintessential salesmen. He worked for the Aeolian Piano Company out of East Rochester New York beginning in the 1950s and stayed for 26 years. He witnessed the famous merger between Aeolian and the Winter Piano Company in the... more
Birth Date: December 26, 1921
Deceased Date: May 22, 2009
George Lewis is the founder of George L’s in Madison, Tennessee, one of the industry’s leading innovators of cable and electronic components. George played a large role in the development of ShoBud as a retail store and manufacturer of steel pedal guitars. George’s entire family works in the... more
Birth Date: November 28, 1941
Deceased Date: April 30, 2020
Zhi Cheng Tong served as the Chairman for Pearl River Pianos in China and was one of its longest-term employees. The company was established in 1956, and he joined the company just two years later. Mr. Tong made his products among the best known pianos in the world, while maintaining the great... more
John Hornby Skewes is the founder and president of John Hornby Skewes Company Ltd, a noted music wholesaler located in England, which was established in the early 1960s. John is also one of the pioneers of the Music Industry Association in the UK and the British Music Fair. He is an industry... more
Birth Date: April 14, 1921
Deceased Date: November 7, 2015
Ruth Sibley Bensinger wrote a song called “So Long Sweetheart” when she was a teenager. The song was about lovers split by war. Members of her musically inclined family thought the song was quite promising. Ruth decided to walk the song over to Fred Waring’s home, whom she had met once through... more
Birth Date: March 3, 1916
Deceased Date: September 21, 2007
Mr. Menchey founded the Menchey Music Service in 1936 out of his mother’s sewing room in Hanover. By the time he retired in 1982, Menchey’s Music grew into the premier full-service school music and piano dealer serving Central Pennsylvania and Northern Maryland. He pioneered expansive sheet music... more
Birth Date: January 2, 1938
Deceased Date: December 24, 2007
William McCormick may always be referred to as an industry outsider by some because he came to the music retail business with a Harvard MBA, from the sugar industry – over 30 years ago! His skillful understanding of the business was second to none. His service to the Jordan Kitt's Music Company... more
Dean Markley thought there must be a better way of making a guitar string, so he found it and in the process changed the way accessory products were sold. Founder of Dean Markley Strings, he often sought to refine the manufacturing process to produce a larger variety of strings for a gamut of... more
Birth Date: July 19, 1924
Deceased Date: April 19, 2016
Richard Collins had a colorful career as a jazz trumpeter in the evening while he studied for his masters degree by day. Two topics always fascinated Dick, music and research, so he sought to study both. He earned his masters in Library Science and spent most of his career in southern California... more
Birth Date: August 22, 1949
Deceased Date: May 1, 2008
Don Johnson received his degree in journalism and later landed the editor’s job at a recording industry trade magazine. Years later the magazine was sold to the owners of the Music Merchandise Review (MMR). Under Don’s editorial direction the magazine has focused on music dealers with profiles... more