Oral History - all
Birth Date: May 11, 1912
Deceased Date: November 25, 2006
Val Eddy was a legendary vibraphonist and composer who played a large part in the early acceptance of the vibraphone in classical music and popular recordings. With his trusty 1922 Leedy vibraphone, Val composed and arranged a number of important books for the instrument including the renowned “... more
Steven Eaklor is a walking encyclopedia of the history of the electronic organ –especially the Hammond organ. Since he was a child he has loved the Hammond and ironically enough grew up to become one of the company’s product engineers. Within the industry, Steven has played a vital role as the... more
Birth Date: March 10, 1933
Deceased Date: September 6, 2010
Charles J. Dumont’s grandfather and uncle opened a sheet music distribution company in 1945. The company, Charles Dumont and Son in Philadelphia, became one of the key jobbers within the industry. At the age of 13, Charles J. Dumont ran errands for the company. After his uncle’s untimely death in... more
Pat Downes combined his engineering background with his passion for music to create the electronic air drums. Forming the company Palm Tree Instruments, Pat became an inventor in the world of electronic mechanical devices that produce sounds. The air drums are among his most noted products, which... more
Dick Dolan is the president of QRS, the historic makers of player piano rolls. He purchased the company in the mid 1980s and ensured that QRS continue to innovative products in the electronic age. His passion for the player piano resulted in a line of creative products including video linked player... more
Birth Date: May 17, 1951
Deceased Date: October 6, 2007
Philip Dodds seemed to always be drawn to electric musical instruments as a teen, so it was no shock that he made a major contribution to the field of keyboard and synthesizer development over his long and successful career. He was hired by ARP in 1970 as the world was first being introduced to the... more
Don Dillon is an industry original! Throughout his 25-plus years in non-profit association management, Don has represented some of the best-known organizations in the music industry, most notably the Piano Manufacturers Association International and National Piano Foundation. Don's love of the... more
Birth Date: December 30, 1928
Deceased Date: June 2, 2008
Bo Diddley was the pioneering rhythm and blues performer who taught the industry one main point in the early days of the electric guitar era. With his square cigar box guitar, patented by Gretsch, Bo demonstrated that, if it’s electronic, it could be any shape and size. Soon after he played the... more
Birth Date: December 2, 1918
Deceased Date: April 6, 2015
Milton DeLugg wrote many remarkable and popular songs such as "Orange Blossom Sky," recorded by Nat King Cole. He wrote TV theme songs and stacks of movie music. All the while, he was working with and becoming friends with the great American tunesmiths, being one of them himself. Luckily for our... more
Birth Date: April 10, 1971
Deceased Date: August 25, 2022
Joey DeFrancesco has single handedly brought back the popularity of the Hammond B-3, beginning in the 1990s. Joey’s soulful approach echoes his heroes of the past such as Jimmy Smith, whom he recorded with in 2005. Joey has also brought the organ style up-to-date to be played smoothly in jazz.... more
Birth Date: February 12, 1921
Deceased Date: February 27, 2005
Murray Davison was a trumpet player who had a few gigs during the Big Band Era, but had to get a day job after the war. While he became a successful businessman, music was never far away. In the 1960s, he established the "Jazz at Noon" concert series in New York City and, a decade later, began... more
Birth Date: March 12, 1919
Deceased Date: February 22, 2007
Jim Cruickshank had an eye for design! While a proud member of the Fender guitar team, Jim designed many of the most memorable trade show displays for the company, including the 14-foot neck and headstock. Jim also worked on many of the company’s best known marketing graphics and even redesigned... more
Birth Date: September 21, 1910
Deceased Date: February 11, 2006
Del Courtney was among the most popular Big Band leaders of the golden age of swing. Getting his start in the Al Hill Orchestra, Del soon found fame when he formed his own band at the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley, Calif., in 1939. He established himself as "The Old Smoothie" and created a band ideal... more
Birth Date: March 13, 1927
Deceased Date: January 11, 2016
David Cooper recalled, with a warm smile, when his father took him to his first NAMM Show. The Cooper Piano and Organ Store in Georgia began in 1905; therefore, David did not just grow up in the business--his life was always involved in music. The store enjoyed great success over the years due to... more
Clifford Cooper has always liked the color orange. So, when it was time to market his amplifiers, which he created mostly for his own use and for friends, he decided to use his favorite color. The Orange amplifier products are not only unique in looks, but are also known by musicians for the clear... more
Birth Date: January 17, 1930
Deceased Date: April 19, 2017
Dick Contino had a series of hit recordings and popular television appearances in the 1950s playing his trusty accordion. By the end of that decade, he was hired by M. H. Berlin at Chicago Musical Instruments (CMI) to introduce a string of innovative products. It was Dick who first introduced the... more
Birth Date: January 14, 1935
Deceased Date: July 31, 2021
Charles Connor was a pioneer in the early beat of rock and roll. As a drummer in New Orleans in the early 1950s, he played with Professor Longhair and became the original drummer for Little Richard. In fact, it was Little Richard who asked Connor if he could produce a rhythm that sounded like a... more
Birth Date: September 10, 1935
Deceased Date: November 24, 2021
Joy Collins had a very successful career selling pianos and organs! In fact she may very well be the person who sold the most Allen Organs ever. Joy was hired by Glenn Davis, who owned a piano and organ store in Chicago, originally as a secretary but soon discovered selling was in her blood. She... more
Birth Date: August 6, 1921
Deceased Date: September 19, 2010
Buddy Collette changed music in more than one way. As a noted reed man, he played jazz along some of the greatest players in history including his boyhood friend, Charlie Mingus. Buddy was instrumental in the birth of the Los Angeles jazz scene. Beginning in the late 1940s, Buddy set out to break... more
Martin Cohen loves drums and he loves drummers, but as we learned in our interview with him, he loves making drums for drummers even more! His impressive innovations and forward thinking business plan were nearly as impressive as the market he created with Latin Percussion Corp. Martin took the... more