Oral History - all
Kyle Lehning is a recording engineer and record producer who has worked with a string of artists in Nashville beginning in the late 1960s. As a result, he has worked with the likes of Kenny Rogers, Bobby Bare, Anne Murray, George Jones and Dan Seals. Kyle asked studio drummer Eddie Bayers to put... more
David Davidson’s uncle, Bill Nimmo, was a professional drummer who opened a small music store on Long Island, New York in 1966. David was exposed to all sorts of instruments at an early age and for as long as he can remember, he was fascinated with the guitar. He learned all he could about vintage... more
Howard Lieberman began playing the guitar at the age of 6. A decade later he saw Jimi Hendrix in concert - an event which forever changed him. By the time he was seventeen, Howard was recording in Jimi’s Electric Lady Studios in New York. After attending Brooklyn College and earning a degree in... more
Chet Roberts attended MTSU where he earned a degree in engineering. He was honing his skills in a studio when he met members of the rock band 3 Doors Down. Chet acted as an assistant in their Rivergate Studios in Tennessee before he was asked to go on the road as their guitar tech. It was an... more
Vail Johnson was the seventh son in his family, all of whom played a musical instrument. It was part of life, just like eating and sleeping. His great grandmother was an opera singer and Vail was always encouraged to sing and play. His professional career hit a milestone when Kenny G hired him to... more
Gary Burr played trumpet in the school band and went on to become one of the top songwriters in Nashville in the 1980s and 90s. Among the many hit songs he penned were “In a Week of Two,” “Watch Me,” “I Try to Think About Elvis,” and his first million selling song, “Love's Been a Little Bit Hard on... more
Chuck Ainlay was a member of a band in school which is where his love and passion for music began. Although he knew he may not make it as a professional musician, he knew he wanted to be involved with music somehow. In college he was exposed to a recording studio and soon realized his passion for... more
Eddie Bayers is the studio musician who was asked to assemble a group of players in the era following the Nashville A Team to act as the go-to group for studio recordings. Eddie called them the Nashville Players and the group include Paul Franklin and Jim Horn (among others). Throughout his career... more
Essra Mohawk wrote songs since she was a little girl! She learned the ability to express the feelings so many of us have about love and happiness using music. Her songs have been recorded by artists such as Tina Turner, the Shangri-Las, Vanilla Fudge and Cyndi Lauper, among others. She wrote and... more
Hank Marvin and his buddy, Bruce Welch, formed the instrumental rock band The Shadows in 1958 in England. The highly influential group pioneered the four-member rock band format consisting of lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass guitar and drums. They were the backup band for Cliff Richards for 35 of... more
Johnny Smith played drums professionally with the Oak Ridge Boys and Travis Tritt, among others, before a group of investors approached him to help create the Songbirds Guitar Museum. Johnny was first asked to find the perfect city for the museum. In 2013, he traveled all around the states before... more
Paul Franklin asked his father to help modify his pedal steel guitar, as he had ideas to create sounds and chord changes that were not possible on the instrument at the time. His father, also Paul Franklin, created and patented the Pedabro, which his son, Paul, used on classic recordings, such as “... more
Steve Gibson repeated, “I’ve been blessed,” which acted as a recurring theme throughout his NAMM Oral History interview. The sentiment comes from a review of his extraordinary career as a studio musician, producer, and musical director based in Nashville. At 19 years old, in the early 1970s, he... more
Guy DeVillez has always had a passion for music. At age 12, Guy started playing guitar and would collect odd guitar picks that he found here and there. He found colorful and unusual picks in music stores and after gigs in local clubs. As his collection grew, so did his knowledge of pick history.... more
Gail Davies was the first female Record Producer in Nashville. In 1973, she was encouraged to run her own sessions by Henry Lewy (1926-2008). It was not easy to establish herself as a producer, but she was determined. As a result, Gail has assisted the careers of hundreds of artists over the years... more
Tony Boase started his career in music when he was 16 and landed his dream job at Mersey Music, a musical instrument shop on the Wirral Merseyside near Liverpool in the early 1980s. Tony has worked with so many famous artists including Scotty Moore and Gerry and the Pacemakers through organizing... more
Dr. Merryl Goldberg grew up inspired by music. Her parents wanted her to learn guitar, but she always had a soft spot in her heart for the saxophone and would sneak in lessons whenever possible. Eventually, her parents gave in, and after graduation, Merryl launched a 13-year career preforming with... more
Anne Fennell knew she wanted to be involved with music from a very young age. Learning to read music was difficult for her and yet, she was not discouraged. Despite these roadblocks, Anne was able to make her dream come true by teaching herself to read music. The experience empowered her to learn... more
Carl Johnston is the store manager for the Hattiesburg location of Mississippi Music. His family ran a local grocery store for which Carl credits for instilling his belief in the importance of customer service. That background may very well have been where Carl learned the need to encourage and... more
Ashley Johnson is the daughter of Rosie and Dex Johnson and the granddaughter of the founders of Mississippi Music, Mac and Jimmy. Ashley shared many of her favorite memories of growing up in the music industry during her 2019 NAMM Oral History interview. She recounted the days of helping her... more