Famed L.A. record store Music Man Murray preparing to close

By John Rogers of The Associated Press


LOS ANGELES — The 45s, the 78s, the vinyl LPs, the CDs are all spinning to a halt, and you can push the stop button on those old cylinder recorders.

Music Man Murray — who for almost a half-century has been L.A.'s go-to-guy for that elusive record, the one you spent years searching in vain for until you found Murray — is closing up shop and selling his collection of some 300,000 discs. Everything must go, from the rare 10-inch vinyl LPs, to the even rarer 19th century Edison cylinders. Even that framed, mint-condition “Yesterday and Today” album by the Beatles, the one with the notorious “butcher cover” that makes it worth thousands of dollars, needs a home.

No, says Murray Gershenz, an energetic man of 87, he's not getting too old to run Music Man Murray's. Truth is, he says, his budding career as a character actor is finally taking off and he just can't devote the time anymore that a record collection like his deserves.

So someone else will have to keep watch over those ancient and fragile discs like the 100-year-old 78s recorded by Swedish opera singer Sigrid Onegin.

“Great singer, absolutely phenomenal,” he says, respectfully, holding one lovingly in his hands.

Then there's the priceless Kenny & the Cadets 45 (one of those small plastic records with the big hole in the middle). Only a few copies were pressed in 1962 before the group's core members became much better known as the Beach Boys.

Read the rest here:

LA Store Closing