Oral History - all
Ira Nepus is the type of musician who is always looking to expand his knowledge in order to be as useful a player as possible for each of his gigs. The philosophy has become a trade mark for his TV and film work as well as in the recording studios for products ranging from rock to jazz. At the... more
Peter Hix loves the ukulele. Well, he loves every instrument but does have an extra fondness and appreciation for the ukulele. He was exposed to music from the very beginning, growing up in the music studio his parents established in 1946, right on Benton Street in Aurora, IL. By the age of nine... more
Lita Ford asked her father to use his old reel to reel tape machine as an amp for her newly purchased electric guitar. With a little soldering, she transformed the tape machine and set out on her next gig. Soon after she helped form the all-girls Punk Rock band called the Runaways! Her driving... more
Adrian Belew had the NAMM attendees on their feet when he joined the All Star Guitar Night in Nashville 2003. Perhaps the feelings were more than just an appreciation for his music as many NAMM members in the audience have become close to him as a product specialist over the years. Those members... more
Florence Wilfer was born in France and was working for a musical distribution company when she met HP Wilfer, her future husband. The two have been working together at HP's Warwick Company since getting married in 1991. Florence has been critical in the operations, marketing and book keeping side... more
Dave Starkey is the engineer who served on the teams that brought us such innovative instruments as the Lowrey MX1 in 1979. For that special project, which included sixty circuit boards, he worked with the designer and engineer, Jack Cookerley. Dave has worked on several amazing teams over the... more
Birth Date: December 24, 1951
Deceased Date: November 30, 2021
Dave Gantz watched the Beatles on television and instantly he knew that he wanted to play bass. Dave had many interesting adventures in music throughout the 1960s, including attending Woodstock. He later found a job at Steve's Music in Canada which resulted in a fulfilling career in music retail.... more
Marcus Spangler cut his teeth in the furniture business, working with his hands, seeing products to completion and adding his own ideas to the design and function of each piece. When he was hired by HP Wilfer to work at Warwick, Marcus found many of those same skills came in handy. As a product... more
Birth Date: May 21, 1959
Deceased Date: January 22, 2020
Sheldon Sazant began working for Steve's Music in Canada in 1978. What he recalls as his first impression of the store was the very tall, big, red-bearded owner, Steve. Steve was bigger than life and when Sheldon got to know him, he discovered Steve was a teddy bear. Sheldon, like so many... more
Mary Faith Rhoads Lewis grew up on a farm outside of Allentown, Pennsylvania, where her mother played the piano and encouraged her children to play an instrument. Mary Faith began playing the violin at the age of eight and soon discovered she had a love of folk music. She built her own Mountain... more
Marilyn Puccio and her husband run a true mom and pop music store in Corning, New York. The store was established as Kelly's Music and young Marilyn took piano lessons in the very store she would later own. Over the years she and her husband, Dick, became very active within their community, which... more
Dick Puccio opened a music store with his wife after working in both general retailing and the banking industry. The couple took over a small store in Corning, New York to make it their own. The store is a true mom and pop operation with their son Daniel and daughter Kate growing up in the... more
Daniel Puccio grew up in the music store his mom and dad ran in Corning, New York. As you might guess, the passion for music was passed along to Daniel at a young age. He played and later taught guitar in the store along with other instruments along the way. While earning his doctorate in music... more
Scott May knew since he was five years old that he wanted to play the organ! He fell in love with the endless possibilities of the instrument as he grew and discovered that the Hammond was the ideal organ for him! While working for the Hammond Organ Company, Scott has assessed new innovations and... more
Phil Upchurch was a teenager when he joined the solid studio musicians for Chess Records in Chicago. The old veterans took Phil under their wings and showed him the ropes and welcomed his own style to the studio’s noted sound. Phil later played on hundreds of recordings for the likes of Quincy... more
Mike Olsen has worked in the very shop his grandfather established right after World War II to make parts for band instrument makers in and around his hometown of Elkhorn, Wisconsin. At one point, after Mike joined the company full time after high school, three generations were working together. ... more
Muriel Long began teaching piano in 1959 and since that time two things have been very clear to those who know her, she is a passionate music maker and a heck of a salesperson! She grew up playing the Hammond and found that even as a teenager, she loved teaching music! While giving lessons at a... more
Lenny Lanteigne has been a passionate musician as long as he can remember. When he had a chance to work in the music industry, he was thrilled. Beginning in the early 1980s, Lenny worked at Steve's Music in Canada and has enjoyed being part of the growing company. Part of that fulfillment comes... more
Michael Kirman was on hand for the 50 Year Milestone Awards during the 2015 NAMM Show. The award went to Steve's Music, a chain of stores in Canada, which were established by Michael's father in 1965. Since his father’s passing, Michael and his team of veteran store managers and salesmen, have... more
Peter Janis played in school orchestra and rock bands growing up as his mother played piano in the home and encouraged him to pursue music. His first job in the industry was working at Steve's Music store in Canada and he was hooked. Peter enjoyed the people in the industry and was fascinated by... more