Oral History - all
Bill Paige is one of the six founders of Heritage Guitars! The idea to start Heritage Guitar began when the Gibson Guitar Corporation closed its Kalamazoo, Michigan factory in September of 1984 and moved all production to its other plant in Nashville, Tennessee (in operation since 1975). When this... more
Marcello Vercelli was trained as a mechanical engineer and landed his first job in the music industry at RCF. RCF is an Italian based professional loudspeaker manufacturer, and a big OEM supplier for transducers and other projects. It was a wonderful introduction in the world of audio that he... more
Greg Weast owned and operated Columbia River Music, a retail store in downtown The Dalles, out in Wasco County, Oregon. The location, 410 E 2nd Street, had its own musical history, having housed a series of music stores since the 1930s, including Cook Music, Fulton Music, Raben’s Records and Roth... more
John Krivit was interviewed at the NAMM Show in Anaheim 2016 and covered his career in the audio industry as well as his work as President of the Audio Engineering Society (AES). As an Associate Professor in Boston, John has dedicated his work as an educator to finding connection points for... more
Tony Brown, the Nashville recording producer, started his career playing piano for Elvis Presley! Tony became a noted studio musician working with Roseanne Cash and Emmylou Harris before becoming one of the most successful producers in country music. As president of MCA Records, Tony produced... more
Don Randi is among the most noted studio musicians that came out of Los Angeles during the famous Wall of Sound era. Don was a member of the Wrecking Crew and played keyboards on countless hit recordings. When listening to the Beach Boy's famous Pet Sounds album, you will hear Don’s piano and... more
John Scofield remembers the music retail stores around his town growing up and proudly gives gratitude to the many retail stores involved with his career over the years. As a guitarist he bought his gear at stores all across the country and as a noted performer and endorsee, John provided clinics... more
Ron Rowe served as President of JW Pepper following the tennor of his dear friend Dean Burtch. The two men were not only incredible business partners, they were close personal friends. Using the same passion and ethics as Dean, Ron helped grow the business during very trying times including a... more
Bobby Guitar Bennett was among the pioneering musicians who proved that Fender Stratocaster was the perfect instrument for the blues. Mr. Fender designed his electric guitar for country music and it was soon used by early rock and roll artists such as Buddy Holly, however it was Guitar Bennett and... more
Birth Date: November 21, 1941
Deceased Date: June 6, 2019
Dr. John became the unofficial ambassador of New Orleans music by showcasing the mystic and voodoo rich traditions of southern Louisiana, which has become the backdrop to many Mardi Gras celebrations over the years. As a soloist and bandleader, he recorded million selling albums that have produced... more
Weird Al Yankovic built his career upon creating parodies of hit songs, with a special focus on incorporating his beloved accordion. Al began recording his silly songs on tape and mailing them into the Dr. Demento radio program. Once his songs were gaining popularity, Al expanded his band and... more
Dan Weingarten is a professor at CSU Northridge who also taught at Loyola Marymount University within the Theater Arts Department with a specialty on professional lighting. He has both designed and installed lighting for plays and operas as well as small and large musical events. His passion for... more
Bill Szymczyk built a small crystal radio set as a kid and soon discovered a world of music and sound that would forever change his life. As a recording engineer and producer, Bill developed a style and approach to recordings that put the artist in the driver’s seat to play a supportive role in the... more
Andy Vargas’ father was the leader of a mariachi band, which became a large influence on young Andy growing up. He witnessed what the power of music could do, not only on the audiences, but also on the performers. By the age of 15, Andy was performing for recording producers such as Terry Melcher... more
Bobby Watson grew up in Lawrence, Kansas and remembers dreaming of buying a new saxophone at the local music store. An early gig with drummer Art Blakey began Bobby on his career as a noted jazz musician, which has included forming his own award winning band and playing with such artists as Joe... more
Bob Rupp was on his way to Hollywood to make his name as a session player when his car broke down in Denver. The year was 1979 and Bob never left Denver. Without a job, Bob played around town and made some side money selling Dragon Drum sets. The demand grew and soon Bob found himself making and... more
Steve Rucker is the Director of Drumset Studies at the University of Miami. His long and interesting career began in Charlotte, where his father fell in love with big band music and often played recordings of Dixieland jazz. Steve was fascinated by the sound of the drummer and his passion was... more
Jonathan Mover began playing drums at age 13, being inspired by the music he heard on the radio. While his career included playing for well-known jingles, winning Grammy’s and producing for artists such as Celine Dion, Shakira, and Rick Ross, it’s his passion for music that most people talk about... more
Scott MacDonald grew up in a musical family, with his father having been a bagpiper. When Scott’s hands had developed enough to begin lessons on the bagpipes, at age eight, he took to the instrument, which he has been playing ever since. Scott took over and established a bagpipe band in Los... more
Birth Date: November 6, 1948
Deceased Date: December 27, 2018
Michael Lipe turned his passion for guitars into his own, successful business. Founder and owner of Lipe Guitars in California, Michael gained experience for his trade by building a series of different styles of guitars. He created a name for himself as one of the most respected luthiers in the... more