Oral History - all
Toni Buffa and her husband, Jerry, purchased Lemur Music from the founders in 1995. The fun name of the business comes from the first names of the couple who started the store in 1964, Leah and Murray (Lea-Mur) Grodner. Toni and Jerry grew the business to include more accessories as well as their... more
Jim Peterson started La Jolla Music in 1962, just a few years after his career in music retail began. Jim worked as a gigging musician in and around San Diego at night and on weekends in the late 1950s and early 1960s. His day job was as a salesman for a local music store and when an opportunity... more
Brian Setzer nearly single handedly brought back the popularity of the rockabilly electric guitar sound that was first established by Scotty Moore, Elvis Presley's first guitarist. Brian was interviewed for the NAMM Oral History program within a month of Scotty Moore's passing in the summer of... more
Richard Sherman is musical film songwriter along with his brother, Robert Sherman. The duo specializes in animated musical-films. Some of their most famous work can be heard on films such as The Jungle Book, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Mary Poppins to name a few. Their most famous piece of music... more
Jerry Woods really enjoyed working in music stores. As a musician, it gave him a day job. As a passionate music maker, it gave him the incredible feeling of placing a guitar in the hands of a young player. After working for Skip’s Music in Sacramento, California, for several years, he had the... more
Larry Gosch is the owner of Encore Music in Auburn, California, and a long-time recording engineer. In fact, he has been recording bands and singers for nearly as long as he has been playing the guitar. As owner of Encore, Larry understands the importance of grabbing the attention of motorists... more
Taj Mahal helped expand the scope of the blues by incorporating elements of world music and a style of guitar playing that was rooted firmly in the African traditions that helped form the musical genre. His goal was to play music that he felt inside him. If others appreciated it, then he saw that... more
Lester Chambers performed with his brothers as the Chambers Brothers, a band that became a pivotal group beginning in the late 1960s. The band had style, so much so that bluesman Snooky Flowers reported in his NAMM interview that, "We all went to check out the Chambers Brothers to hear them and to... more
Freddie Roulette pioneered the use of the slide guitar in the blues style. When he began playing slide guitar he was emulating country and western music and felt the instrument would fit nicely in old blues traditions, which he did to great success. In fact, his playing has been a strong influence... more
Birth Date: October 4, 1940
Deceased Date: March 9, 2020
Snooky Flowers was asked to put a band together to go on the road and travel with a young blues singer named Janis Joplin. As her bandleader he helped to prepare her for road performances. As her friend, he joined her on stage to dance during her appearance at Woodstock. Snooky recorded with his... more
Misty Browning loved to watch the smile on the faces of those in her church as a child when they began to sing. She noticed their mannerisms and expressions completely changed once the music started. She knew then that hers would be a life in music! She toured and recorded and taught, and all... more
Mal Stich worked for the BC Rich Guitar Company from 1975 until 1985, which was an important time of growth for the guitar maker. Mal helped the company's founder, Bernard Rico, expand the models, enhance the distribution, and monitor the quality control while working in the factory. Over the ten... more
Birth Date: June 12, 1941
Deceased Date: February 9, 2021
Chick Corea loved being a music maker! Nominated over 60 times for a Grammy, Chick was among the most high profile musicians we have been blessed to interview for the NAMM Oral History program, and yet he was also one of the most down to earth men we have ever met. Around the time of his two NAMM... more
Michael Simmons is a co-founder of the Fretboard Journal and the author of several articles and books about vintage guitars and other fretted instruments. He began his career at Gryphon Guitars in Palo Alto, where he caught the bug for the history of the instruments. Over the years he has... more
Richard Johnston began buying and selling used fretted instruments long before there was a "vintage guitar market." Back when Richard started they were just known as used instruments, but he saw the value. After meeting his partner Frank Ford, they opened a small guitar repair shop in Palo Alto,... more
Frank Ford was beginning to build guitars and mandolins when he met Richard Johnston. The two guitar lovers decided to open a repair shop in Palo Alto, California called Gryphon Stringed Instruments. Before long he had a need to expand and the shop became an important retail store for the emerging... more
Andy Penn opened one of the first music stores dedicated to drums and percussion in Northern California. As a drummer he wants to create a place for others to gather and be able to purchase quality gear. He opened Andy Penn’s Drum world in 1965 only to soon discover the name Drum World was... more
Paul Shuffield opened a small mom and pop music retail store with his wife in 2008, just a few weeks before the bottom fell out of the American economy and retailing suddenly became much different. Paul reacted quickly to the challenge and soon offered services and products he didn’t originally... more
Perry Pedersen is a full blooded Basset Hound, who has been a show dog for several years. His role in the music industry started when he began joining his owners, John and Nedra, on walks to their music store in Burbank, California. Perry is the official store greeter and plays a vital role in... more
Ed Seelig opened a small guitar shop when he was a teenager, having already made connections within the concert circuit selling used gear to traveling musicians. The store, Silver Strings Music and Repair in St. Louis, Missouri opened in the early 1970s. He organized one of the very first vintage... more