OH Taxonomy
Dr. Robert Moog was the father of the synthesizer and perhaps the best-known promoter of the Theremin and electronic music. When he passed away in 2005 after a short illness, he was eulogized as an inventor and lover of music. When his Modular Moog was introduced in 1965, followed by the Mini Moog...
Gotthold Meyer became a very successful German wholesaler when he and his wife formed the 'Gotthold Meyer' company, which later on became 'Musik-Meyer'. His visionary thinking led to strong international relationships and partnerships around the world. Gotthold was a key player in the export of...
Tony Schmidt was the very first volunteer of the NAMM Foundation’s Museum of Making Music (located in the NAMM building) to provide 1,000 hours of service. As a kid, he saw Duke Ellington perform in his hometown of Chicago and was hooked, not only on Ellington (for which he was a noted expert), but...
Paul Youngblood has become the expert of the BOSS effects pedal products due to his longevity with the Roland company. He has witnessed first hand, and took great part in the development and growth of the innovative BOSS products. Paul has been proud of the teams that were formed at Roland and how...
Larry Thomas is the current CEO of Fender Musical Instrument Company. He also served as CEO of Guitar Center during the company’s early growth period. He worked closely with music educational programs throughout his career and in fact created the Guitar Center Foundation and the Fender Music...
Carol Kaye can be heard on such landmark recordings as “La Bamba,” the Mission Impossible theme, and scores of hits produced by Phil Spector. She started playing jazz guitar in a big band during the early 1950s. Within the decade, she gained employment at the studio where she would later meet...
This video is of our annual NAMM Tribute, created in honor of our members and music industry friends who passed away in 2002. All moving images within this video indicate those who have been interviewed as part of the NAMM Oral History program. Larger segments of their interviews are posted here on...
John Stowell has been a strong supporter of the music industry as a jazz guitarist and has performed at the NAMM show over the years as well as at the NAMM Foundation’s Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad. Fans of the museum may recall the special program during the 2002 NAMM Show in which John was...
Hartley Peavey was like most kids his age in Mississippi during the mid 1950s--he wanted to be a rock and roll star! In a very real way he did became a rock star, not as a performer but as a manufacturer of musical instruments–beginning with his pioneering guitar amplifier. Equal to a performer’s...
Norman Harris loves guitars! His vast knowledge and collection has made him one of the industry’s leading experts on vintage guitars and basses. As the founder of Norm’s Rare Guitars in Tarzana, CA, he played an important role in the great boom in vintage guitars that began in the 1980s. His...