Our Industry’s Trailblazers, and How They’ve Influenced Me

Ever since I was 11 years old, I’ve known what I wanted to do.  My dad used to call me his “shadow,” because I’d follow him everywhere and eavesdrop on his phone calls (unbeknownst to him).

Music was everywhere in my life – from idolizing Steve Morse to playing catch with Van Halen in the greenbelt behind our house, I was given an unique introduction to how amazing music is, and how our industry has been shaped by some incredible people.

However, this column isn’t a self-promotional piece about my life, however. I really wanted to take this opportunity to elaborate on how truly lucky we all are to work and breathe in the industry we live in. 

The following MI icons, whom I’ve admired since I was young, have given me a tremendous amount of affinity for the industry, and an appreciation for those who share their ingenuity and creative vision for the products we make and sell.

• Ernie Ball – My grandfather was an incredibly sharp, organized, and creative man. His whole life revolved around a singular love he had for the guitar. His vision for creating rock and roll guitar strings, and the gauges that are commonplace today gave my family a foundation to build, nurture, and grow into the company we are today. I come to work every day hungry and focused to not let him down. He’s given me an incredible amount of passion to preserve his legacy, meanwhile striving to create my own footprint that he’d be proud of.
• Sterling Ball – Where do I start?  My dad has been the driving force behind Ernie Ball since he was still in his teens.  From forging and creating our international business, to signing all the great artists we work with (Clapton, et cetera), to building the world’s first self contained Mobile Stages, creating the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands, building Music Man, signature artist instruments (EVH, Petrucci, Luke, Morse), I’ve been incredibly fortunate to learn from him.  My dad’s given me inspiration, guidance, creativity, focus, compassion, and a competitive spirit that can win in business – and, more importantly, in life. He was fortunate to learn from his dad, and I can say that there’s nobody I’d rather call my mentor, my dad, and my best friend.
• Jim D’Addario – Jim and his fantastic wife, Janet, have been mainstays in the Ball family’s life since I was a baby.  Jim’s not only got an unparalleled track record when it comes to machine design, product design, and leadership, but he’s one of the most generous men I’ve ever met.  My brother Casey was diagnosed with Polycystic kidney disease when he was two-years-old. Over time, we developed a foundation to raise money for the severely underfunded pediatric kidney research. Nobody has provided more support to our foundation than Jim, Janet, and their company. That’s just downright rare: your biggest competitor also serving as your best friend and biggest supporter. Jim’s influenced my career in a lot of ways (more than he probably likes). Jim & Janet represent all that the industry is, and should be.
• Gary Hanser – Gary’s one of my dad’s best friends, but I’ve known him since I was about 10 years old. Gary’s company, Davitt & Hanser, is one of our few U.S. distributors and he may be the most well liked man in the music business. Gary spearheaded Davitt & Hanser’s growth, and also B.C. Rich and Kustom into global brands. Gary’s taught me how to still compete, but never to take things too literally or seriously. He’s a brilliant mind, knows the industry front to back, and is someone I call a great friend (Gary was a groomsmen in my wedding!)
• Jim Dunlop, Sr. (Grapefruit) – Jim Dunlop was one of my grandfather’s closest friends, and has always been nothing but incredible to me, personally. Jim’s accessory and pedal business are tent-poles for all retail locations, and his family has given the industry so much. Jim gave me a gold-plated wah pedal (one of only three, worldwide – Stevie Ray Vaughn and Hendrix got the others) for my college graduation. His motto, “It’s all about Family,” resonates for me everyday and illustrates something that’s so cool – having so many family-run companies in our industry.
• Jimmy Dunlop – Jimmy’s become a great friend lately, and is a downright creative monster.  He’s helped build Tortex and Dunlop picks into a household name (like Kleenex), and continues to create some incredibly innovative pedals.  I’m lucky to have Jimmy as a friend and someone we can all appreciate for helping to grow our collective business.
• Marty Albertson – Marty lead Guitar Center through its largest growth phase, and most importantly left an imprint on the company’s focus of trying to create musicians and bring more customers into our shared world.  The center-point of his strategy was always entanglement.  How can we create more musicians and how can we illustrate the feeling people have when they experience the emotional connection of playing a musical instrument?
• Paul Reed Smith – I remember walking into Paul’s booth about 10 years ago, and staring at these incredibly stained wood grained tops: Just striking and beautiful in every way you could put it. I had a pirate costume on with a goofy wig, and I’m sure I caught his eye as being a swashbuckler in his booth. Wrong. Paul couldn’t have been nicer, and offered to build me a guitar. Anyone who knows Paul knows immediately how pure and genuinely nice he is.  Secondary to that are the stellar instruments he builds. 

I could’ve gone on and on, as there are so many inspiring and talented individuals throughout our industry – maybe I’ll share additional thoughts in a second installment!