On April 7, we received the following from NAMM‘s Dan Del Fiorentino:
It is with a heavy heart that I report the passing of Millie Detgen. She was a pioneer in our industry who became a friend to many of us here at NAMM. She passed away on April 2 at the age of 88.
Millie Detgen was one of the very few female manufacturer’s reps in the music products industry in the 1970’s and 80’s. She began working with her husband Gene Detgen after they were married in 1971. Gene was the Sales Manager at Pacific Music Supply in Los Angeles at that time. His main product line was Guild Guitars. Gene was one of the early associates of Alfred Dronge, the founder of the famed Guild Guitar Company back in 1952. In fact, it was Gene who suggested the name Guild for the company name. When her husband suffered a stroke in the late 1970’s, Millie stepped into his role as representative for Guild until 1987. She became a well-respected leader in the industry who followed her husband’s philosophy that quality and customer service are of top importance to the success of the business.
