Music has not just influenced me, but it is the fabric of my family. Without music, I literally wouldn’t be here.   

Born in Poona India, and partly raised in London England, my Grandmother Beryl Templeman, sang throughout the war, positioned in the East, making well over 100 records for HMV and selling over a million; she also had her own radio show with All India Radio. Returning from India, she performed at the London Palladium, and appeared often at the famous Churchill’s Club in London – she was also awarded the Burma Star by the Duke of Edinburgh upon her return to England. During her career, she billed with Vera Lynn, Anne Shelton, Sophie Tucker, Ted Heath, and Jack Jackson. Whilst stationed in Burma, she also met my Grandfather, Sgt. Leslie Holmes, through ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association).

My Grandfather Leslie Holmes, was a Sergeant in the Royal Air Force, and was the founder and leader of the No. 1 Dance Orchestra of the RAF, The Squadronaires. A clarinetist by discipline, and an entertainer by design, he stayed in the business until the day he died, in 1973. Amongst his life’s work and creations, are his two sons, Leslie and Kim.

Leslie (or Les) is their first son, who continued the musical thread into the first generation of Templeman-Holmes’. He was the leader of a 4-person pop group called ‘Yet Another’ in the 1960’s, and was later a pianist in the Malcolm Haig Jazz Quartet. Les actually went on to become a Professor, pursuing a highly recognized career in academia.

My Father, Kim Templeman-Holmes, is their second son and a drummer. Touring Germany with his band, Kim met up with his elder brother; Les introduced his friend Christine to Kim, but Christine was not much interested as she was focused on life’s adventure, living and working in Berlin at the time.

Christine is my mother.

She has no explanation for the middle part of that story...

My parents settled in Birmingham England, where my Grandmother Beryl resided, and my dad opened Nest Studios. He moved on to Horizon Studios where he engineered Ska bands such as The Selector and Bad Manners. My father left the studio life behind when I was young, choosing a more conventional career to support his family. Having moved into audio manufacturing, our family immigrated to the USA when I was 17, with my father, who then managed the HARMAN Nashville operation.

In a very cliché thread, I accidentally-on-purpose followed in my father’s footsteps, singing a bit when I was young, training as an engineer, working in recording and broadcast studios, and moving on to build a career within audio manufacturing.

I have now been with HARMAN for almost 10 years and live in an energetic household always filled with music. There are guitars everywhere, two sets of drums, unnecessary amounts of microphones, a JBL something in every room, and a spirited little girl who fills every spare minute with performances of ‘Let It Go’ with or without an audience. At three years old, the fourth generation proves she has the bug; she has already got what the rest of us Templeman-Holmes’ have, which is a connection and love for all that is, and all that comes with music.

By,

Katy Templeman-Holmes, Director US Marketing, HARMAN Professional Solutions