Oral History - all
John Fields grew up in Meridian and took a great interest in his mother’s job at Peavey Electronics. As a kid, John worked on electrical components and built his first guitar at the age of 12. He later studied electronics and got a degree in Electrical Engineering before working with the engineer... more
Tammie Harper was born and raised in Meridian, Mississippi and like so many people in the town she was interested in music, so she joined the Peavey Electronics team. Her first job for the company was working the old telex machines. She was thrilled when word processing and computer upgrades... more
Bill Richardson played drums and his brother played guitar growing up in Canton, Mississippi. His drum kit came together very slowly, first a Ludwig part, then something from Slingerland and then finally his own real kit in the early 1980s. Piecing the kit together gave Bill a great appreciation... more
Lloyd Turner happily landed his first teaching job right out of college as band director for Madison Central High School in Jackson, Mississippi in 1966. The job cemented in Lloyd’s mind the thought that this was the career for him. He taught for over 20 years with stints working in local music... more
Jerry Puckett is a studio musician for Malaco Records in Jackson, Mississippi who played guitar on the hits “Groove Me” by King Floyd and “Mr. Big Stuff” by Jewel Bass, among many others. Jerry also performed on several historic albums over his long career including Remember Me by Willie Nelson and... more
Luroy Hart was in the ninth grade when his family moved to Jackson, Mississippi. His father was a preacher and filled the home with music. Luroy picked up the bass horn and tuba with dreams of teaching music after earning his degree at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. It turns out... more
Terry Hart is well known at Mississippi Music for her expert saxophone repair skills. Students and professional musicians from around the state (and sometimes outside of Mississippi too) come to her for help with their beloved instrument. She majored in flute performance in college and taught music... more
Tommie Vaughn was just seven years old when his father purchased a piano. He played in church since age 11 and was inspired and encouraged by the church organist who also took time to show Tommie the technical side of playing. While gigging with the likes of Knight Bruce in the 1980s, Tommie... more
Dr. John Hanbery joined the school band in the fourth grade in his hometown of Greenwood, Mississippi. He was encouraged and inspired by his band director, which is a strong reason why he perused the profession after attending Old Miss. Dr. Hanbery went on to teach in the Madison Country school... more
Raphael Semmes (pronounced Raf-yul) has fond memories of his mother singing as he was growing up. The feeling of her music became an inspiration for him and when he was given a Silvertone guitar, and he soon discovered that he could express himself with music as well. Switching to bass, Raphael... more
Dawn Dixon formed Music Plus in Birmingham, Alabama with the goal of providing the same teaching opportunities for local vocalist that she was afforded. After a strong college experience and vocal training at the Dalrymple Agency in London (among others), Dawn created the teaching studio that grew... more
Jewel Bass is known for singing backup on countless Malaco recordings since 1969 and with her own band, These Days. She started singing in church, influenced by her uncles who sang in a gospel group. After joining an R&B band that toured the East Coast, she began singing for Malaco Records in... more
Vince Massimino was surrounded by music growing up as both of his parents taught music. His father was also a composer who wrote educational music. As a result, Vince played in bands (with his father in the early days) at dances and for weddings, and he estimates he has performed at over 1,000... more
Birth Date: September 20, 1945
Deceased Date: May 28, 2020
CD Hagan was always a believer in the benefits of the social aspects of being involved in a school band program. While playing in his college band, he met his wife and while teaching band, he witnessed first-hand friendships of a lifetime forming and the positive effects those relationships had,... more
Donna Reed wanted to continue to provide music lessons even after retiring from teaching in a traditional school setting. After 30 years as a music education teacher in the public schools, Donna retired and turned to providing private lessons at Mississippi Music. Growing up in the church and in a... more
Jesse Robinson grew up in Benton, Mississippi, the son of a Holiness Preacher. His father was always very encouraging of Jesse and his music, which was a major source of empowerment for the young bluesman. While still a teenager, Jesse was playing in and around Jackson for Sam Myers and Jimmy King... more
Duncan Goff was a band director in Mississippi for 33 years. His first teaching job, at a junior high school, showed Duncan he was in the right line of work as it was a meaningful experience. When an opening for a band director at Madison Central High School in Madison, Mississippi became available... more
Marc Johnson was a band director for 27 years and in retirement felt he could help the younger generation of directors. While working for Mississippi Music as a school road rep, Marc has been able to do just that. With his knowledge and understanding of the struggles and concerns of the band... more
Sam Hart’s father was a preacher who sang with his siblings as the Hart Brothers. Sam grew up surrounded by music and was encouraged to join the school band in the sixth grade. In 1975, after studying music education, Sam was hired as a repairman for Wright Music in Jackson, Mississippi. Sam later... more
Doug Williams heard his father singing as far back as he can remember. As a member of the Big Five gospel group, his father encouraged his children to sing in church. Doug sang with his two older brothers as part of the Williams Brothers, a group that performed and recorded for several decades. In... more