Oral History - all
Mike Lawson always wanted to become a musician as a child. The process was not easy as his family could not afford an instrument for him, but his desire was always strong. He worked hard to earn the money when he was a little older, cutting grass and other odd jobs, and finally purchased a guitar. ... more
Jay McDowell, known as Smilin' Jay, is the Multimedia Archivist for the Musicians Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee. His father worked with Guild Guitars and was friends with Duane Eddy, who is like an uncle to Jay. As a result, Jay was able to attend the NAMM Show as a kid. As a musician, Jay... more
Joe Spann joined the Gruhn Guitars crew in Nashville, TN to assist in writing appraisals. Appraising musical instruments is an important part of the retail store's business, and has been increasing ever since George Gruhn opened the store in 1970. Joe’s passion and growing expertise for the Gibson... more
Robert Yates is known as Uncle Uke for a very good reason - he plays, builds, and sells ukuleles. Robert opened his own store, HUG Ukulele, on the big island of Hawaii with his wife Patricia which began as a handmade jewelry store with a few ukes and has evolved into primarily a ukulele store with... more
Titus is the cat you will meet when visiting Gruhn Guitars in Nashville, TN. Titus was a rescue, and has grown into a big, friendly, and beautiful boy. George spoke of the many customers who often visit the store just to pet Titus! George also pointed out that he does not own the store, Titus does!
Jonathon Breen’s grandparents opened The Music Shoppe in 1961 in Bloomington, Illinois. Back then the name was spelled without the second P and the E, which were added later by his Uncle Randy when he expanded the business by opening other locations. Jonathon’s interesting intro into the business... more
Cowboy Joe Babcock is a singer and songwriter whose career in country music spans over sixty years. As a vocalist he and Hurshel Wiginton formed a backup studio singing group called The Nashville Edition. With The Nashville Edition and on his own, Joe sang on thousands of recordings such as Marty... more
Larry Noto’s father, Joe, opened Music Land in 1971. Back then Joe wanted to create a store that would provide instruments and repairs to both the gigging musician and students. Larry grew up in the store and has memories of playing in the empty boxes as a child, but he didn’t work in the store... more
Kevin Ray Clark grew up with music in his home and played in a family band at church. He was inspired by the musicians playing at Disney World and pursued the trumpet in his school band program. As he got older, Kevin started playing with the Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey Circus Band. As... more
Chuck Jacobs played bass in Kenny Rogers’ band for more than 40 years and enjoyed every minute of it. His roots in music go back to the Dixieland group his family formed while he was too young to play. He heard the music and was inspired to begin playing instruments as a child. At the age of 10 he... more
Bill Koepnick is the co-founder of Advantage Audio in Burbank, CA where he specializes in creating and recording sound effects for movies and television. Bill got interested in music at a young age and was an avid fan of The Ventures. His instrument of choice was the drums and he played in the band... more
Jeff Berlin has always been surrounded by music and considers it the most important element of his life besides his family. The first instrument he picked up was the violin at age five, which he pursued for ten years before switching to the bass guitar. Jeff had the opportunity to see some... more
Mick Abrahams was given his first music lessons by his mother who was a piano teacher. When he transitioned to guitar he formed a band with some schoolmates and began writing songs. When he met Ian Anderson the two had their eyes on forming a band with original songs and so they collaborated on a... more
David Lindley grew up close to the Folk Music Center in Claremont, California, where he was exposed to stringed instruments from around the world. He also worked for Berry Grassmuek Music in Pasadena, CA, which had a large selection of world music recordings that he would take into their listening... more
Greg Mathieson spoke passionately about his career in music during his NAMM Oral History interview. He brought up some very interesting points, such as his views on working on the road vs in the recording studio, and his experiences of developing a true musical connection with the vocalists he... more
Frederick Swann is one of the most famous organists of the last 50 years due to his many publications, recitals, church performances and his long run on the television program The Hour of Power. His career began when he was just 10 years old and he was asked to fill in for the organist at his... more
David Garretson is a special representative for the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, which represents motion picture technicians, artists and allied crafts of the United States and Canada. As a union leader, David has overseen the creation of several initiatives that have... more
Neal Pogue has a special touch when it comes to being a recording engineer. Perhaps his talents and skills can be traced back to childhood when he began playing the drums. He was trained at Sound Mastering Recordings in Los Angeles and gained the attention of Randy Jackson who asked Neal to serve... more
Charles Owens has always believed in the importance of music education; after all, his own career began while attending the University of San Diego. As a result, Charles kept returning to education throughout his career even when he became a sought-after studio musician and touring jazz saxophonist... more
Val McCallum has had a long association with Jackson Browne, collaborating on several projects together. They wrote the song “My Cleveland Heart” and toured together. During his NAMM Oral History interview, Val explained the connection he feels with Jackson and the pride he has in creating music... more