Oral History - all
Marshall Bissett found his way into the music industry by way of the British theater scene. With the dream of working backstage in theater, Marshall transformed that dream into a successful career in concert touring starting in the 1970s. Having the music industry setting a priority of selling more... more
Stan Mazyck plays an intricate role in the success of the NAMM Shows as a floor manager. As a retired police officer from the Long Island area, Stan worked trade shows while serving on the police force as a floor manager for a variety of industries before he relocated to Carlsbad, California where... more
Kamau Kenyatta grew up surrounded by a family that had a deep running passion for music, and as a result Kamau was able to get his first clarinet when his grandfather, an electrician by trade, bartered with one of his customers to support young Kamau’s growing passion for music. Later he decided to... more
Keith Brawley heads up the global sales for Taylor Guitars in El Cajon, California. The role is a perfect fit for Keith who knows and understands the importance of a quality instrument, having had his own brand of guitars and the relationship with salesman as he was also a road rep for years. These... more
Wayne Seppala was playing organ for shoppers at the Montgomery Wards in San Diego before he was a teenager. When the store stopped selling organs, he landed a job at Ozzie’s Music where he met his future wife, Cheryl. Together they opened their own store just a year after getting married in 1977. ... more
Cheryl Seppala has given the gift of music to countless students in her organ store over her career. She has never lost that spark in her eye that has encouraged her students to stay with the lessons and enjoy the benefits of making music. She began teaching when she was a teenager at Ozzie’s Music... more
Jeff Hamilton is right at home at the drum kit of a big band. While he has had great success and enjoys trios, Jeff considers himself a big band drummer. One key approach to his drumming is to keep the tempo while bringing out the talents of the other musicians in the band. Throughout his career,... more
Birth Date: December 20, 1918
Deceased Date: August 24, 1991
Jerry Jacobs was born Jerome H. Jacobs in San Jose, California. His father owned a clothing store called The White House, and Jerry, after his service during World War II, followed in his father’s footsteps. Jerry owned and operated Jerry’s Store for Men on Santa Cruz Avenue in Menlo Park,... more
Gunnar Nelson and his twin brother, Matthew, formed a rock band in the 1980s that followed the musical traditions of their father, Ricky Nelson, and their grandparents, Ozzie and Harriet. The Nelson twins wrote and recorded “I Can’t Live Without Your Love and Affection” and in the era of MTV,... more
Matthew Nelson always knew he wanted to be a musician and follow in the footsteps of his famous father and grandparents. Ozzie and Harriet were a famous television couple; however, they first came to fame in the 1930s with a big band. His father, Ricky Nelson, was an early rock and roll recording... more
Brent Mason can often be found at the NAMM show as he has developed some long-lasting relationships with musical instrument companies during his long career as a studio musician. He grew up in a very musical family, in fact his parents and siblings formed the Mason Family musical group, which... more
Brian Berk was hired as the editor for the Music & Sound Retailer trade magazine back in 2005. The magazine, founded by Vinny Testa, was the first in the industry to offer a video e-newsletter. Brian remained the editor for five years, then left the industry for several years before returning... more
Don Cusic recalls that in 1964 he was greatly influenced by three musical discoveries: Roger Miller, Hank Williams, and The Beatles! After forming his own band and playing Bluegrass music for some time, Don became a professor of music at Belmont College in Nashville. During that time, he began... more
Orval Engling has become an expert on the Ibanez guitar brand, so much so that he helped write a book on the company’s history. Orval began collecting Ibanez guitars in the 1990s and has come to discover the many innovations the company created over the years. He has enjoyed learning stories from... more
Richard McDonald has always been driven and inspired by music. Both his father and brother played upright bass and for as long as he can remember, Richard has always been drawn to making music. He played several instruments as a kid and clearly remembers the day he received his first guitar from... more
Beverly Maxwell and her husband, Marvin, established Mom’s Music in Louisville, Kentucky in the early 1980s. Beverly took care of the books and the business end of the store while her husband took care of the sales and product lines. The couple made a great team, which not only led to another... more
Marvin Maxwell opened Mom’s Music in Louisville, Kentucky with his wife Beverly in 1981. He also designed and developed a line of music themed toilet seats called “Jammin’ Johns,” which were first sold in his music store then in shops around the world. Marvin’s love of music began when he played... more
Leigh Maples played her ukulele as her sister sang when the two were small and remains an important memory for Leigh. She later played guitar in high school and went on to study music business in college. In 2009, Leigh and Pamela Cole, who she met in college, opened a music store in Nashville. ... more
Pamela Cole played trombone in school and learned firsthand the importance of supportive people in the formative years of a young musician. After graduating from Belmont College in Nashville with a degree in music business, she and Leigh Maples opened their female friendly music store in Nashville... more
Vygintas Gasparavičius has passionately worked in the field of arts management for more than twenty years. During his career, he founded and led several companies and organizations, the boldest of them is ART TOURS, an agency which helps artists and concert promoters to deal with the business of... more