Oral History - all
Brian Crewe fully embraced the benefits of having an organ in the home. As an industry veteran who played a vital role in the boom of the home organ, Brian has outlined several plans that he hopes can bring back the popularity of the home organ. As a performer, Brian played for the National... more
Birth Date: May 27, 1925
Deceased Date: May 1, 2012
Ed Cramer was the long time music attorney who played a vital role in ensuring the performance and composing rights of musicians and songwriters. His list of clients reads like a who’s who of American Popular Music and his dedication to ASCAP and other organizations has helped many performers... more
Richard Crain has been at the forefront of music education for the better part of his life. As a Texas bandmaster and educator, he has been instrumental in the growth of school music programs throughout the United States. He has served on the boards of directors for the Midwest Band Clinic and the... more
Birth Date: September 27, 1925
Deceased Date: June 16, 2013
Margie Coyle joined several big bands as a singer in the golden age of the swing era. Bandleader Ziggy Coyle hired her for his band and the two fell in love. She worked at her husband’s store, Coyle Music in Columbus alongside Ziggy and years later with their son Jeff. She became NAMM’s first lady... more
Birth Date: April 2, 1943
Deceased Date: February 19, 2017
Larry Coryell enjoyed a long career as a jazz guitarist. In addition to touring and recording on his own, Larry worked with some of the greatest names in jazz. Over the years he developed his own method of playing, and wrote a series of teaching books and DVDs. His educational publications have... more
Craig Cornwall’s father was one of the three founders of Kendor Music Inc, a music publisher located in Delevan, New York. The trio worked together to publish band music for school programs beginning in 1953. They worked on building the catalog, starting with a focus on jazz for school programs... more
Gary Cooper enjoys a well-regarded career in journalism with a run in recording and popular music magazines before his work in the music products industry. He branched out with celebrated articles on the people and musical products for Music Trade News and MI Pro, both published in England. He has... more
Birth Date: December 15, 1928
Deceased Date: March 28, 2020
Michael Cooney taught music in the public schools in Massachusetts for over 25 years. During the time of his teaching he also established a high-end flute company in the early 1970s called Northeast Winds. Over the years the company built a worldwide reputation for quality of product with a special... more
Jim Connors joined Norlin Corp. originally as the head of the Lowery Organ factories. With his strong background in manufacturing and process control, Jim was able to keep up with the 25% growth the company was experiencing each year. Under Jim’s watch, the company created a new Lowery factory in... more
Birth Date: August 9, 1948
Deceased Date: July 14, 2017
Bill Collings' passion for guitars may have started on his father’s workbench when as a boy he tinkered with woods and making things. His father’s background in engineering was also an influence and before too long Bill made up his mind that he wanted to build guitars. Unlike many luthiers, Bill... more
Jim Coleman recalls watching his father, a true traveling music man, tune a piano when Jim was just a boy. He not only went on to make a career of tuning, but set standards for testing tuners for the Piano Technician’s Guild. Over his long career, Jim owned and operated his own music store in... more
John Clayton loves music! Since the age of 16, the future Grammy winner enjoyed being able to express himself with his music. He studied with Ray Brown before becoming the bassist for Henry Mancini while he was still a teenager. He toured with the Monty Alexander Trio and the Count Basie Orchestra... more
Joseph Chen has put his vast knowledge of international trade along with his love of music together for a successful and respected career in the music products industry. His career began with Wu Hsieh at KHS Musical Instruments, which led to Joseph’s own company, Reliance International. Under his... more
Thomas Case provided a tour of the Case Brothers Piano Company before our interview. He proudly pointed to a logo of the company when his great grandfather began tuning pianos in 1904. Tom’s grandfather opened a retail store in 1930 in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The business is located in a... more
Chip Averwater took over the music retail business in Memphis, just as his father did and his son would one day, keeping the tradition in the family. Chip’s passion for the music business expanded beyond the store and out into volunteer positions for several organizations including NAMM. Serving on... more
Will Alexander worked for Oberheim in the heyday of the synthesizer boom of the 1970s. He helped engineer the Oberheim Four Voice System as well as the popular OB-X units. He soon realized the role computers could play in music making and by using the early Apple products he began engineering... more
Birth Date: June 22, 1919
Deceased Date: March 13, 2015
Mirek Jaromir Strizka opened a musical wholesale business in the early 1960s and named it European Craft. The company began as the young Czech immigrant established a business in Los Angeles, California, selling one instrument, the harmonica. He wore out his car traveling the country and... more
Birth Date: January 30, 1939
Deceased Date: October 6, 2020
Chip Wise served in the piano business for over fifty years and enjoyed the customers he met and the people of the music industry. During the early days of the NAMM Oral History program more interviewees suggested we interview Chip than just about anyone else. His interview took place at the NAMM... more
Scott Wedge and Dave Rossum attended college together and soon developed a few clever ways of combining their engineering training with their passion for music. They began creating sound controllers for the boom of synthesizers hitting the market in the 1970s. While supplying a growing number of... more
Birth Date: January 13, 1936
Deceased Date: August 6, 2011
Bart Wascom was the electrical engineer who sought to improve the pro-audio speakers by improving the distribution of sound. After several tests, he concluded that large wooden cabinets compress many of the mid range tones. By creating a plastic case for his speakers, which sits on the ground like... more