Don Kirkendall

Don Kirkendall was hired by Electro Voice founder Al Kahn to serve as the company’s advertisement manager in 1954. Don’s creative approach to the company’s line of speakers and microphones earned him several industry awards and increased sales annually for 3 decades in a row. Among the most noted campaigns was for the Buchanan 644 microphone, which gained a reputation for its solid body and durable sound. Don heard a salesman used the microphone to hit a nail in the wall to prove it would still work, Don then called it the Buchanan Hammer in the advertisements –and the name stuck. Don was interviewed alongside Al Kahn and EV sales rep George Riley in Cassopolis, Michigan for the first of many interviews dedicated to preserving the history of the pro audio aspect of the music products industry.