Tom Pooton

Tom Pooton was not yet a teenager when he began taking guitar lessons. A year later, with the support of his mother, Tom attended a Gibson clinic where he connected with some of the employees. They later invited young Tom to attend the NAMM Show in Chicago, where he fell in love with the music industry. After college MH Berlin hired Tom to serve as the Marketing Manager for Gibson Guitars in the era in which it was owned by Chicago Musical Instruments (CMI). Tom worked closely with his long-time friend Bruce Bolen and together they designed and ran the CMI booths at NAMM as well as invited many of their artists to appear in their booths such as Les Paul, Bill Withers, Larry Carlton, Tony Mottola and BB King. Tom later worked for Toro as a Senior Marketing Executive, yet often recalled with a smile his years in the music industry.