Oral History - all
Don Lombardi is the founder of Drum Workshop, who formed the company at the age of 26 with the goal of providing teaching facilities for young drummers in Santa Monica. Don had the opportunity to purchase the equipment to bring the famous Camco drum pedal back to the market place under the DW name... more
Birth Date: December 15, 1944
Deceased Date: January 17, 2016
William Locke worked for the Canadian division of the C.F. Martin & Company going back to the early 1970s. During that same time period, several suppliers came together to form the Musical Instrument Association of Canada (MIAC). William (Bill) joined the board of MIAC, including a term as... more
Michael Lloyd is among the most prolific recording producers of the 1970s and 80s. His long list of successes include the Dirty Dancing movie soundtrack and Debbie Boone’s 70s mega hit “You Light Up My Life.” Michael has been equally innovative in the use in his recordings of electronic musical... more
Birth Date: March 14, 1913
Deceased Date: March 11, 2006
Arthur Linter had many stories to share, like the one about his real birthday. “My mother told me, ‘Your birthday is March 14, 1913, but it says April 5 on your birth certificate because the doctor put it in his pocket and carried it around for a few days before he filed it.’”
He was a street wise... more
Larry "Link" Linkin began his career in the industry as a salesman for the G. Leblanc Corporation and wound up the C.E.O. of NAMM, retiring the year that the organization marked its 100th anniversary. Link not only helped grow NAMM into an international association with ever-growing trade shows,... more
John Limb provided a detailed account of the Catholic music publishing business and its effect on the growth and development of Oregon Catholic Publishing (OCP) for which he served as president. With the company’s roots going back to the 1700s, John was able to paint the full picture of the eras... more
Birth Date: September 24, 1922
Deceased Date: January 29, 2007
Floyd Levin was a promoter of traditional jazz, an author, and music historian. Beginning on radio in the 1940s and then on to writing a music column, Floyd captured some of the greatest stories and characters in the world of jazz. A close friend of many performers such as Louis Armstrong, Floyd... more
Birth Date: January 27, 1928
Deceased Date: June 3, 2015
Dr. Alfio Leone was among the world’s best loved luthier of traditional Italian musical instruments. He learned his craft by years of studying the vintage instrument in the region of Sicily where he was born, established his factory, and where he passed away. In 1958 he changed the name of the... more
John Ledwon is a theater organist with a love for the instruments he plays. Since the age of 11 John has been enamored with the sound and design of pipe organs and has become an expert on the workings of both concert and theater organs. Along the way John has also collected a number of instruments... more
Ernie Lansford has served our industry well. With his attention to his customers and dedication to their satisfaction, Ernie has earned the respect and friendship of many – both suppliers and dealers. As a sales rep for St. Louis Music and for Peavey, Ernie was well traveled, which allowed him to... more
Birth Date: February 2, 1931
Deceased Date: July 5, 2021
Morris “Arnie” Lang played percussion for the New York Philharmonic for over 40 years and wrote the book on percussive technique -- literally. Arnie became involved with the music products industry in the 1950s when he began making his own mallets and later snare drums and complete sets. Along the... more
Tony Lalonde comes from a family of inventors. His father, who held several patents for musical accessories, enjoyed a long career as a retailer in Minnesota. Tony and his brother started music stores in California in conjunction with Tony expanding the family’s line of patents and innovative... more
Birth Date: March 30, 1913
Deceased Date: February 6, 2007
Frankie Laine earned over 20 gold records as one of America's leading crooners of the 1950s. Over his long career he sold over 100 million records. Months after his first big hit, “That’s My Desire,” Frankie was the headliner at the 1947 NAMM Show in Chicago, back in the days when the recording... more
Birth Date: January 24, 1922
Deceased Date: January 10, 2014
Stanley Lager formed Dale Electronics Corporation in New York City in 1956. The company, well known as Dale Pro Audio, was among the very first to fill the growing electronic needs of vendors, installers, and the general public. Stanley befriended the Shure Brothers and sold that line of products... more
Helene La Faro has been asked countless times to recount the short but extremely influential musical career of her brother, jazz bassist Scott La Faro. In fact, she began collecting the notes of her many responses and compiled them into a book on Scott’s life. Nearly all jazz bass players can... more
Birth Date: January 9, 1915
Deceased Date: June 26, 2008
David Kutner was new to the music products industry when he was offered the job as President of Hammond Organs in the late 1960s. It was a time for change in the organ business as sales slipped from the decade before, resulting in the discontinuation of the famous B3 line by David’s predecessors.... more
Ray Kurzweil appeared on the popular 1950s and 1960s quiz show “I’ve Got a Secret” to reveal that he had made a computer that could make music. Since those early days, Ray has come to define the computer age of music making. Founder of Kurzweil Music, Ray designed some of the industry’s most noted... more
Hap Kuffner was eleven years old when he was given his first guitar during the folk music boom of the early 1960s. As he learned to play the instrument he also taught himself to repair guitars and to teach. In 1969 he teamed with friend Stanley Jay and opened a vintage instrument shop in New York,... more
Birth Date: May 5, 1926
Deceased Date: December 27, 2021
Irv Kratka had the idea of creating recordings of music while leaving out an instrument, such as the piano. Piano students and enthusiasts could then play along with the band on the recording, providing the missing music. The success of his efforts resulted in the establishment of his company,... more
Al Kowalenko oversaw one of the largest growths in the music products industry during the 1980s and 1990s –the Canadian market. As president of MIAC, beginning in 1979, Al fostered the development of the Canadian annual music fair and the relationships between retailers and suppliers. Al has also... more