News: Obituary
December 16, 2025
Bob Rockwell of Playground Music Passes Away
Robert “Bob” Henry Rockwell Sr., formerly of Playground Music in Florida, passed away on Nov. 19. He was 74. Rockwell was raised in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and…
December 15, 2025
Industry Veteran Ken Dattmore Passes Away
Industry veteran Ken Dattmore, who worked with William Lewis & Son Company and Yamaha for a number of years, passed away on Dec. 4. He was 64. Dattmore…
August 22, 2025
Former Yamaha Exec Dennis Van Vactor Passes Away
Dennis Van Vactor, who served at Yamaha Corp. of America for 27 years, passed away on Aug. 16. He was 79. Van Vactor joined Yamaha in 1980 as a district manager…
May 29, 2025
Founder of Hosa Technology Passes Away
Sho Sato, founder of Hosa Technology, passed away on May 15 in Whittier, California. He was 81. Born on Nov. 27, 1943, in Yokohama, Japan, Sato moved to the…
April 18, 2025
Founder of Kidder Music Jim Kidder Passes Away
Founder of Kidder Music and a NASMD past-president James “Jim” Eugene Kidder passed away on April 15. He was 84 years old. Kidder was strongly influenced by…
March 01, 2025
Korg President, Representative Director Seiki Kato Passes Away
Korg has announced its president and representative director, Seiki Kato, passed away peacefully at 8 p.m. local time on Feb. 21 following an illness. He was…
December 29, 2024
Former ISB President Barre Phillips Passes Away
Former president of the International Society of Bassists, Barre Phillips, passed away at his home in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on Dec. 28, 2024. He was 90. Barre…
December 26, 2024
Founder of Fort Bend Music Center Passes Away
Rick Cochran, founder and president of Fort Bend Music Center, passed away unexpectedly on Dec. 4. He was 64. Born on Feb. 19, 1960, Cochran dedicated his life…
