Who is Travis Perry?
Travis Perry grew up on a peanut and cattle farm in Lower Alabama and started playing guitar at age nine. He made his living as a performing musician and music teacher for decades, giving lessons on guitar, Dobro, banjo, mandolin and fiddle, and watched many beginners quit within a few months. He had the idea for a learning aid as a teenager but did not build it until his daughter wanted to learn guitar. The result was ChordBuddy, a clip-on device with color-coded tabs that lets beginners play chords right away, which he describes as training wheels for the guitar.
Perry pitched on Shark Tank in Season 3, asking $125,000 for 10% with about $150,000 in sales. Several sharks made offers, and he chose Robert Herjavec: $125,000 for 20%, plus a pledge of $50,000 more for an infomercial. ChordBuddy became a strong seller on Amazon and returned for a Season 4 update featuring country singer John Rich. Based in Dothan, Alabama, the company has since grown to more than 20 products, including PERRY Guitars, ukuleles, songbooks and tuners, and Perry has pushed to add guitar programs to U.S. schools.
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