Oral History - all
Birth Date: September 3, 1926
Deceased Date: March 21, 2019
Kurt Glaesel was born into a violin-making family, which dates back to 1720, but it was Kurt who made his family name nationally known. After a noted 20 year career with Heinrich Roth, Kurt established Glaesel String Instrument Service, Inc. in 1973. The company was soon sold to Selmer, where Kurt... more
Rocky Giglio has been a strong leader in the development and marketing of the jj Babbitt mouthpieces product line. For years. Rocky has listened to customers and professional musicians for ways to improve the line, all the while keeping a focus on the traditions and quality so closely associated... more
Birth Date: July 14, 1927
Deceased Date: March 14, 2007
Wilhelm Gertz was often seen working on the action of a vintage grand piano whenever you stopped to visit him in his store. After all, he has been doing this same thing most of his life. He was born into a family in Germany who ran the largest piano company in the country. He learned the craft,... more
Birth Date: February 5, 1910
Deceased Date: April 20, 2003
Walter Fuller played trumpet for Earl “Fatha” Hines when Earl, a pianist, formed his first big band in 1936. Walter gained fame as trumpet player and singer on several of the band’s hit recordings. During our interview, Walter spoke of working in clubs owned by mobsters, bringing the Chicago style... more
Sam Falcetti can tell you everything you’d ever want to know about the accordion and, as the salesman that he is, he would sell you one! Sam’s retail store, Falcetti’s Music, is located in Springfield, Massachusetts. Over the years, the store has expanded and is known for its customer service and... more
William C. Everitt is one of the big names in the music products industry from the big state of Texas. As a musical retailer, he has assisted in the development of the industry and the way instruments are sold. With an eye on the business side of the operation, Mr. Everitt worked to grow the... more
Duane Eddy has been a strong influence on generations of guitarists and played a key role in making instrumental songs viable as hit makers in popular music. Duane recorded several hit records beginning in the late 1950s, which continued into the 1960s including “Rebel Rouser” and “Boss Guitar.”... more
Doyle Dykes is not only one of his generation’s greatest guitar pickers; he is also an incredible human being. Doyle’s career as a guitar player led him to sessions with his hero, Chet Atkins, as well as regular church worship programs around the world. Mr. Dykes stated, “I’ve been blessed with the... more
Karl Dustman, the founder of Dustman and Associates, is one of the country’s foremost experts on drums. Having worked for Ludwig and Gretsch along with others, Karl put his love for drums to use in creating new markets. For years he has also been a strong supporter of the Percussive Arts Society... more
Rick Drumm inherited his father’s love of music. His father established Ronnie Drumm's House of Music and Rick spent must of his childhood in the store and playing drums with his father’s many bands and combos. Rick toured with his father in the 1970s with the circus, which is where Rick began his... more
Michael Dresdner loves woodworking, so when the opportunity came up to build guitars he jumped at it. He designed and built several styles of acoustic guitars before being hired by the C.F. Martin & Company. He later worked for Young Chang, the piano company, as they wanted to expand their... more
Fred Douglas recalled picking up his first Fender Precision Bass when he was hired to record as a member of the Pacers. The Pacers were the band behind the “wild man of rock and roll” Sonny Burgess. The band recorded early Rockabilly songs for the Sun label out of Memphis, years before Elvis... more
Brenda Dillon has played a vital role in the development and acceptance of group piano lessons based on the concept of recreational music making. As a strong advocate of RMM, Brenda has promoted the many benefits to students and to teachers. Brought up on the piano and having studied music in... more
Birth Date: June 10, 1929
Deceased Date: April 14, 2019
Gary DeShazo began his musical career as a Texas bandmaster and then worked with James Caldwell, the founder of Caldwell Music. With a great understanding of the educators’ needs, Gary soon developed lasting relationships with band directors over the entire state and beyond. In 1969, he bought... more
Janet Deering has become the darling of the banjo industry as co-founder of the Deering Banjo Company. Along with her husband Greg, she has brought the banjo back to its popular roots with the pride of an American-made instrument. Although the instrument was not originated in the United States it... more
Greg Deering worked for a short time with Bob Taylor in San Diego as both men sought their dreams to create their own unique fretted instruments. While Taylor Guitars was being established, Greg and his wife Janet worked long and hard to build up the Deering Banjo Company. As the company reached... more
Paul de Benedictis recalls the day he was working along side software designer Dave Oppenheim when a series of commands were created to allow a drum machine to sync to Dave's MIDIMAC Sequencer through MIDI. In the early MIDI days of the synthesizer and computers this was an exciting moment and one... more
Jim Darby is the band instrument salesman who formed Capital Music in Montgomery, Alabama, and who built a customer base both in school band programs as well as among the elderly. Jim’s sharp salesman pitch is like that of a preacher on Sunday morning and if you are not going to buy an instrument... more
Birth Date: August 12, 1938
Deceased Date: October 18, 2014
Paul Craft always felt a pull towards music but was not just sure how it would take hold in his life. For a time he ran a music store in Memphis called Paul Craft’s Music and Drum City all the while writing poems and setting them to music. When he felt he could write songs, he headed up the road to... more
Bobby Crafford still has his first snare drum, the one he played when he recorded early Rockabilly songs for Sun Records in Memphis, TN. In 1957 he joined the Pacers, the band behind Sonny Burgess. Being part of the roots of rock and roll has always been a source of pride for him. Sonny split up... more