Oral History - all
Birth Date: January 15, 1942
Deceased Date: July 31, 2018
William Brilhart grew up in a house of music. His father, Arnold Brilhart, was the jazz saxophonist who established a mouthpiece and accessories company and introduced innovative products to the music products industry. His mother was a world-renowned harpist who traveled the world and made several... more
Robert Brilhart is the eldest of the sons of mouthpiece pioneer Arnold Brilhart. Arnold was a well-known saxophonist in the early days of recorded jazz and throughout the Big Band Era. All the while, Arnold kept making small adjustments to his equipment such as his mouthpieces, mutes, and even... more
Stanley Werbin opened a small guitar shop he named Elderly Instruments on July 5, 1972. The original location was in East Lansing, Michigan and focused on "used instruments". Within a few years Stan watched the growth and development of the vintage guitar market and provided a repair shop and... more
Birth Date: June 28, 1923
Deceased Date: October 28, 2014
Charles Watkins invented the Watkins Copicat, an echo unit introduced in 1958. Mr. Watkins was inspired by the Morino Marini Quartet who made famous the Comi Prima, which contained a special use of repeated phrasings. The Copicat revolutionized the world of music beginning in the United Kingdom,... more
Birth Date: May 8, 1927
Deceased Date: May 17, 2019
Charles Walter was a pillar in the piano business for nearly 60 years. He was hired by the C.G. Conn Company to work in the piano design department back in 1964. While there he worked under the legendary Dr. Earle Kent, the Director of Research and Engineering. When the company decided to... more
Nelson Varon is the founder of the Nelson Varon Piano and Organ Studios who has enjoyed a long career in the music products industry. During his career in the retail business, which focused on organ and keyboard instruments, Nelson continued to perform for local community groups and churches. Over... more
Birth Date: June 18, 1923
Deceased Date: November 30, 2016
Victor Tibaldeo Sr. loved to talk about the accordion boom of the 1950s, an element that helped establish his music store. The Miami-based store also was one of the country’s most successful organ retailers when that instrument hit its boom in the 1970s. Victor always said it helps to be in... more
John Thomas was the lead piano repair man for Werlein’s For Music in New Orleans. The historic music retailer, which opened for business before the Civil War and closed in 2003, had several locations in the south. However, it was the company’s Canal Street location that was known around the world... more
Logan Swords has always been passionate about music and about promoting music makers. As a young child he began playing drums and found out first-hand the benefits of music making. When he opened his own music retail shop in Fort Worth, Texas, he found himself in the position of bringing those... more
Lars Seifert was interviewed alongside Karl Pucholt in the oldest building of the CA Seydel & Sons harmonica company in Klingenthal, Germany. The two men headed the team that brought back the company, which in name and innovations had become legendary within the industry. After decades of... more
Gerson Rosenbloom grew up in the music industry! His father, Harry, formed Medley Music for which Gerson would later become president. Gerson took pride in being a member of the industry and was involved with many organizations including AMC. He also served on the NAMM Board for over a decade,... more
Randy Navarre loved teaching music as a band director. He composed works just for his own bands and even developed a few methods before ever thinking that his efforts could be published. While working with school band music, known as Northeastern Music Programs, he was given the opportunity to... more
Birth Date: January 2, 1919
Deceased Date: October 2, 2011
Frank Nelson played trumpet and cornet during the swing era, touring with Alvino Rey’s Orchestra among others. He arranged music for the bands, both small groups and the larger outfits and worked on a wide range of materials during his long career. In later years he worked in recording studios,... more
Prescott Niles was the original bassist for the Knack. His driving licks can be heard on the classic recording of “My Sharona” and his strong rhythmic teaming with band drummer Bruce Gary has been the source of inspiration for a generation of garage bands the world over. Prescott endorsed several... more
Birth Date: December 23, 1923
Deceased Date: November 15, 2016
Milt Okun was the founder of Cherry Lane Music Publishing. His career in music, outside of his own playing, began as a record producer. He had success during the folk movement of the 1950s and 60s with performers such as Peter, Paul and Mary. While he continued to produce, he established Cherry... more
Birth Date: January 20, 1926
Deceased Date: June 30, 2011
Jess Oliver was the inventor of the Ampeg Baby Bass, the first electronic upright bass instrument. The fiberglass body and unique design was key to projecting the sound of a double bass into an electric amplifier. His idea was one of the many used by the Ampeg Company. When the Baby Bass was... more
John Oram is known as the father of British EQ, and has played an enormous role in the way recordings are made and how sound is heard on those recordings. At the incredible age of 15 years old, John had his first control mixer and made history with Dick Denney at VOX where the team created the... more
Birth Date: July 17, 1938
Deceased Date: September 19, 2017
Gil Orr played a part in the era of popular music known as the Surf Sound. With the steady growth of instrumental hits in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Orr performed and recorded his guitar-playing style with boardwalk bands on the California coast. The Surf Sound hit its zenith when a group... more
Birth Date: October 29, 1937
Deceased Date: October 24, 2021
Sonny Osborne and his brother Bobby created one of the most powerful bluegrass sounds of their generation. The Osborne Brothers were powerful in popularity because of their influence as well as their technique, which was not necessarily hard driving, but creative and flowing. They began recording... more
Birth Date: February 14, 1928
Deceased Date: December 17, 2015
Harry Osiecki’s father started a music store out of his parent’s home. In 1933, he opened up his first store, which had a living unit upstairs for his family. Although he tragically died at a young age, his wife ran the business until her sons Jerry and Harry returned from war and took over. In... more