The Summerhays Family wishes to let Educators, Musicians, Friends and Family know that on November 22nd Scott Summerhays, the president and CEO of Summerhays Music in Salt Lake City, Utah, passed away following an illness that he battled privately. He was 55.
Scott began working in our family business at an early age. “I started working at the store when I was 12, pre-computer,” he said in a NAMM interview from 2015. “Obviously, the rent-to-own receivables, they were all on paper. So, literally, my first job was to take a ledger paper and type in the name of the customer, and then write down every single month of their payment all the way down the ledger paper for the entire length of the contract, and write in the amount of the payment.”
Scott was well-respected in the music industry serving in a variety of mentorship and leadership roles. He was a past president of the National Association of School Music Dealers, a former NAMM board member(National Association of Music Merchants), a member of many other industry organizations and an advocate for music and arts education on the local, state and national level.
“Scott was an incredibly vital NAMM member, participating in virtually every way possible and giving selflessly for the good of others,” said Joe Lamond, NAMM president and CEO. “This one hurts badly. We’ve lost a dear friend and industry brother way too soon. His legacy of service to the music community will inspire us all and remind us once again to never take these deep connections for granted.”
To his friends and family, Scott was known as a caring individual who was readily available to advise and assist those in need.
Scott was an avid skier—on water and snow—and was passionate about spending time with his family outdoors. Some of his family’s favorite memories were around a campfire, traveling to water skiing tournaments or music conventions and simply enjoying company in his backyard.
Scott felt strongly that Summerhays Music Center should play a part in supporting music accessibility for everyone. He travelled with NAMM to Washington D. C. on numerous occasions to advocate for school music programs.
The Summerhays Family will continue to operate Summerhays Music and is dedicated to supporting music education and all of you, our Friends, Teachers and Fellow Musicians
In lieu of flowers, the family requests pictures of Scott and stories that can be shared at a celebration of life to take place in the near future. Please send all pictures and memories to Cris Behrens at cbehrens@summerhaysmusic.com.
