Vic FirthEverett Joseph Vic Firth[1] (June 2, 1930 July 26,2015)
was an American musician and the founder of VicFirth Company
(formerly Vic Firth, Inc.), a companythat makes percussion sticks
and mallets.[2]Founded in 1963 and headquartered in Boston,
Mas-sachusetts, the company bills itself as the worlds
largestmanufacturer of drumsticks and mallets, which are madein
Newport, Maine.[3] In 2010, the company merged withAvedis Zildjian
Company; ocials said at the time thatthe companies would continue
to run independently.[4]Vic Firth was born June 2, 1930, in
Winchester, Mas-sachusetts.[5] He was raised in Sanford, Maine by
par-ents Everett E. and Rosemary Firth, where he graduatedfrom
Sanford High School.[6] Son of a successful trumpetplayer, he
started learning the cornet at age four, turninglater to
percussion, trombone, clarinet, piano, and mu-sic arrangement. When
he reached high school, he wasa full-time percussionist, and
created an 18-piece bandat age 16. He played a variety of
percussion instrumentssuch as vibraphone, timpani and the drum set.
He helda Bachelors degree, as well as an Honorary Doctorate inMusic
from New England Conservatory in Boston.Firth was the principal
timpanist of the Boston SymphonyOrchestra from 1956 to 2002. He was
the orchestrasyoungest member when music director Charles
Munchhired him as a percussionist in 1952.[7]Firth died at the age
of 85 on July 26, 2015 at his homein Boston, Massachusetts.[8]1 Vic
Firth CompanyThe company began when Firth, who had been perform-ing
with the Boston Symphony Orchestra for 12 years,was asked to
perform pieces which he felt required ahigher-quality drumstick
than those that were currentlybeing manufactured. Firth decided to
design a set of hisown sticks.[2]Firth hand-whittled the rst sticks
himself from bulkiersticksandsent
theseprototypestoawoodturnerinMontreal. The two prototypes that he
sent would becomethe SD1 and SD2, the rst two models of sticks
manufac-tured by Vic Firth, Inc. Firth said, It came out of
neces-sity, not of imagination or my ability to start a
company.Although the sticks were initially intended for Firths
per-sonal use, they gained popularity among his students andwere
eventually carried by retailers.As of 2012, the company oered about
300 products,and made 12 million sticks a year.[2] The company
alsoproduced a line of pepper mills, salt grinders, and rollingpins
sold under the Vic Firth Gourmet brand for manyyears until those
interests were sold to Maine Wood Con-cepts of New Vineyard, Maine
in 2012 and re-brandedunder the name Fletchers Mill.[9]2 Famous
endorsers/usersDanny Carey (drummer for Tool & VOLTO!)?uestlove
(drummer for The Roots & The TonightShow Starring Jimmy
Fallon)Carter Beauford (drummer for the Dave MatthewsBand)Steve
Gadd (session drumming legend in NYC, PaulSimon, Steely Dan, James
Taylor, Carly Simon, PaulMcCartney, Eric Clapton, Art Garfunkel and
count-less others)Dave Weckl (session drummer in NYCand Los
An-geles)Steve Jordan (session drummer, Eric Clapton,
KeithRichards, Cat Stevens, Boz Scaggs)GavinHarrison(PorcupineTree,
KingCrimson,05Ric, O.S.I.)Russ Miller (session drummer in Los
Angeles)Joe Butterworth of TalanasCharlie Watts (The Rolling
Stones)Peter Erskine (Weather Report, jazz legend)Jack DeJohnette
(Miles Davis)Eddie Livingston (Social Distortion,
Evildead,Pumpjack)Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge, Rod Stewart,Beck,
Bogert & Appice)Rod Morgenstein (The Dixie Dregs, Winger)Billy
Cobham (jazz legend)Sheila E. (Prince, Ringo Starr)Keith Carlock
(Steely Dan, Toto, James Taylor)12 5 EXTERNAL LINKSAbe Laboriel,
Jr. (Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton)Roger Taylor (Queen)Paulinho da
Costa (session legend in Los Angeles)Thomas Lang (Stork, solo
artist)Tony Royster Jr. (Jay-Z, solo artist)Vinnie Paul (Hellyeah,
Pantera, Damageplan)Mark Schulman (Pink, Cher, Foreigner)Vinnie
Colaiuta (Sting, Je Beck, sessions)Matt Garstka (Animals as
Leaders)Christoph Schneider (Rammstein)3 See alsoList of drum
makers4 References[1]
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/29/arts/music/vic-firth-who-gave-drummers-their-sticks-dies-at-85.html[2]
The History and Development of Vic Firth Inc. VicFirth. Retrieved
October 14, 2012.[3] Vic Firth. Vic Firth. January 20, 2012.
Retrieved Oc-tober 14, 2012.[4] Vic Firth Company and Avedis
Zildjian Company An-nounce Merger. VicFirth.com. Retrieved December
21,2010.[5] Vic Firth Company Founder: Vic Firth. Retrieved
Jan-uary 23, 2012.[6] SHS Hall of Fame: Vic Firth. Retrieved
January 9,2014.[7] Vic Firth, 85; was celebrated BSO timpanist and
drum-stick maker. Boston Globe. Retrieved 2 August 2015.[8] Vic
Firth, noted BSO timpanist, drumstick maker, diesat 85. Boston
Globe. July 28, 2015. Retrieved July 28,2015.[9] Vic Firth Gourmet.
Vic Firth Gourmet. Retrieved Oc-tober 14, 2012.5 External linksVic
Firth CompanyVic Firth at Find a Grave36 Text and image sources,
contributors, and licenses6.1 Text VicFirth Source:
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Contributors: DocWatson42, Giraedata, Walter Grlitz,JIP,Rjwilmsi,
EvanSeeds, Jaraalbe, Brandon, [email protected], NiTenIchiRyu,
Finell, DuoDeathscyther 02, WookieInHeat,Hmains, Tim Pierce,
Racklever, Qoolquest, PRRfan, E-Kartoel, Conquistador2k6, Lugnuts,
JKML, Seaphoto, QuiteUnusual, Pauger,Connormah, Waacstats, BMRR,
WOSlinker, Mercurywoodrose, SieBot, MenoBot, Drmies, Mild Bill
Hiccup, Niceguyedc,
Constantijn09,Ktr101,Arjayay,XLinkBot,Lobo,MystBot,Addbot,FluyWhiteCat,Tassedethe,Yobot,Tohd8BohaithuGh1,Justinj1996,BPRD,Zad68,
GrouchoBot, Schizophobic, Billyrobshaw, SassoBot, Amaury,
Astatine-210, ShattuckCreek, DrilBot, RjwilmsiBot, Primefac,RA0808,
ZroBot, Yayalew08, Drummerdavid, Jayblue42, Sharon needles, ClueBot
NG, Vicrthcompany, Drzeezin511, BG19bot, Fer-nando Riveiro, TDKR
Chicago 101, Jesuspigster, Caryn davis, CaptainPedge,
Karatedrummer, Chorus Guy, KasparBot,
Ludwigpaisteman,RigatoniHateParty, Cathalt and Anonymous: 1086.2
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