OH Taxonomy
Sue Howard was hired in 1984 to serve as Jimmy Johnson’s secretary at Mississippi Music. Mr. Johnson, who formed the chain of retail stores with his wife, Mac, in the 1940s was serving as president of the NAMM Board when Sue was hired. Her job changed and developed over the years and included...
Sherry Kampe was hired to join the Mississippi Music team about the same time as her lifelong friend Rosi Johnson. The two played a big role in adapting new technology over the years to address tasks such as accounts receivable and monthly inventory. Right after finishing high school in 1972,...
Ashley Johnson is the daughter of Rosie and Dex Johnson and the granddaughter of the founders of Mississippi Music, Mac and Jimmy. Ashley shared many of her favorite memories of growing up in the music industry during her 2019 NAMM Oral History interview. She recounted the days of helping her...
Rhonda Beleck feels privileged to be among the very few who get to know each employee of Mississippi Music’s four locations. Overseeing the 401(k) and benefits programs for the company, Rhonda often travels to each store for training. Over the years she has also played an important role whenever...
Brenda Lust has spent much of her 20+ year career at Mississippi Music solving problems. With a background in accounting, Brenda came to Mississippi Music in 1992 working her way from the mailroom to the accounting department. Along the way she has worked on many special projects to help with the...
Dr. Sherman Hong was encouraged at a young age by several outstanding music teachers to play percussion. In sixth grade he learned how to play drums using the Belwin band method series, which cemented his passion for music making. He was heavily involved with Mississippi Band Clinics and...
Carl Johnston is the store manager for the Hattiesburg location of Mississippi Music. His family ran a local grocery store for which Carl credits for instilling his belief in the importance of customer service. That background may very well have been where Carl learned the need to encourage and...
Chris Barker’s grandfather played the piano and made sure each of his grandchildren had a piano in their homes as well as the opportunity to take lessons. Chris was inspired by Elvis Presley to play the guitar and later switched to bass guitar when he joined a band in junior high. He played...
Tim Miller was watching The Ed Sullivan Show when the Beatles came on and changed his life. From that moment on, he wanted to play drums! Tim’s very supportive father drove him to lessons each week and Tim was encouraged to develop as a musician by several dedicated teachers. He played his first...
Cathy Watkins worked for Mississippi Music for over 35 years! Although she spent much of her time in the Purchasing Department, Cathy played a vital role in the organization’s Wholesale Division, Eagle Distributors. She worked very closely with the two founders, Mac and Jimmy Johnson, and even...