When Vic Firth was growing up, he took weekly lessons on piano, trumpet, clarinet, trombone and drums —plus music theory. Only the drums — and the drumsticks — stuck. Firth, who for 50 years ...

He died Sunday at age 85. Everett “Vic” Firth, who grew up in Sanford and became known as a pioneer in the music industry for developing high-quality drumsticks and mallets, has died.

Everett “Vic” Firth, a longtime timpanist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra who became renowned among drummers of all stripes as a manufacturer of drumsticks, died July 26 at his home in Boston.

Everett J. “Vic” Firth of Dover and Boston, former principal timpanist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, died July 26 at home. He was 85. Mr. Firth was born in Winchester and raised in Maine.

Everett “Vic” Firth, the celebrated principal timpanist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1956 to 2002 who also started a successful percussion equipment company, died on Sunday in his ...