 He joined a band, but was not a good musician, but served them well by building their amps and PA system. So after graduating from Mississippi State in 1964, he started Peavey Electronics in 1965. He started out building single unit bass and guitar amps in a small room above his father's store. After teaming up with Don Belfield, who sold many amps for him, Peavey was able to hire a part-time employee to help keep up with the demand. By the mid-70s, he was having such success