OH Taxonomy
DJ Scratch is a legendary Hip Hop DJ and producer from Brooklyn New York. He has worked with many great Hip Hop artists such as Jam Master Jay, EPMD, Jay-Z and A Tribe Called Quest! During his NAMM interview, DJ Scratch recalled his early gear and how he often made his own speakers, his first set...
DJ Imperial JayCee first played records in the parks back in 1974. The world of Disco had created a career for DJ Kool Herc, a hero in JayCee's Bronx neighborhood, which inspired him to take out records in the local park to entertain people. In 1977, he officially joined Herc's crew of DJs just as...
Kool DJ Red Alert, from Harlem New York, grew up listening to the Caribbean music of his grandparents as well as his brother's record collection. He was greatly inspired the day he first witnessed the father of Hip Hop, Kool DJ Herc, performing. He soon began bringing his turntables out to the park...
Garth Hudson sat down at the piano and played several classical works as the NAMM Oral History crew set up the camera and lights. He began by playing, stopping every once in a while, to review his notes. Garth spoke about his love for music and his first teacher in Canada who impressed upon him the...
Vinnie Bell was a studio musician in New York who often was asked to create new and unique sounds. As a luthier, Vinnie built several innovative guitars including one tuned like a sitar. His efforts were recognized by the Danelectro Guitar Company who hired Vinnie to help design their electric...
Bud DiFluri enjoyed a long and successful career in the music industry in both retail and manufacturing. He managed the Yamaha band and orchestra department in New York City with a focus on sales and marketing, which he also focused on while working as the Senior Sales and Marketing Manager for New...
Peter Yarrow is the Peter in the wildly successful popular folk music trio Peter, Paul, and Mary. During his often musical NAMM Oral History interview, Peter spoke of the role music played during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, as well as the anti-war movement during the Vietnam War. The...
Charlie Feldman was inspired to play the guitar thanks to this father. While a teenager, Charlie formed several bands and over the years played with such great named bands as The Bassmen (named after the amp) and The Candy Store Profits. In the late 1960s, he went up to the recording studios in...
Mary Jo Mennella is the president and founder of Music Asset Management, Inc. She studied trumpet in college and landed her first job in the industry working at ASCAP in New York, then Los Angeles. While with ASCAP, she worked on a number of projects including the first Pop Music Awards. Mary Jo...
Larry LeBlanc was just 14 years old when he wrote a story about the local music scene for a Toronto newspaper. He was soon asked to write for a monthly magazine for teens called the Canadian High News. His growing knowledge of local clubs and bands gave Larry the opportunity to book bands, which he...