The [WM] team has been to more NAMM
Shows than you can shake a pick at! In years
past people have had a certain disdain for the
Summer NAMM Show, but this year something
was different. There was a strange kind of
intimacy that developed because of the size of
the show – not too big, not too small, just right.
In turn this gave people a chance to talk with
a degree of comfort and depth we’ve never
experienced at any NAMM Show.
Going into the show, we were particularly
excited about getting a chance to interview JC
Curleigh, Gibson’s new CEO. He’d experienced
the heights of success during his tenure at
Levi Strauss, but, like Reverb founder David
Kalt, JC’s love for music and the instruments
that make it called him into the MI (musical
instrument) world. We were impressed with
JC’s passion and vision for the brand and
remain excited to see what his tenure will bring!
[WM] JC, in the press conference you used
the phrase “listen, learn and pivot”. Who are
you listening to, what are you learning, and how
are you pivoting?
[JC Curleigh] Even before I got to Gibson, as
a musician I was always infatuated by Gibson
as a guitar icon and playing Gibsons. Of
course, you pay attention to all of the dynamics
out there. But those that truly have a Gibson
September 2019
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