Morley Thompson passed away on March 7 at the age of 86.
Thompson’s financial background was a key element in the expansion of the Baldwin Piano Company during the 1980s. He created a credit company and finance programs under the Baldwin name to branch off from the company’s core technology and invest on a larger scale. The changes came in the years following the popularity of electronic instruments and the onset of MIDI technology when many traditional piano companies feared the end was near. Morley’s strategies were recognized outside of the industry as well as within, with Forbes magazine profiling Morley and his new approach to the music industry.
To view a clip from Morley Thompson’s segment from his 2003 NAMM Oral History program, click here.
