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Discogs to Boost Brick-and-Mortar Record Stores With New Initiative

In the wake of this year’s Record Store Day on April 23, Discogs is spinning up its own initiative to assist brick-and-mortar music sellers. The online physical music database announced Tuesday (May 3) that it’s set to launch its first annual Independent Record Store Month in June 2022. By connecting music fans and indie record stores across the globe, the initiative hopes to highlight the importance of physical record shops and their contribution to vinyl culture. During Independent Record Store Month, Discogs will launch The Store Explorer, a new, year-round online directory highlighting brick-and-mortar record shops around the world and encouraging fans to support them. Participating stores will also receive a digital badge that verifies which sellers in the Discogs marketplace are phys...

Famed Ernest Tubb Record Shop in Nashville Up For Sale

The downtown Nashville record store that was opened by Opry legend Ernest Tubb in 1947 and has been a landmark in country music for decades will close as the building is being put up for sale. The owners of the Ernest Tubb Record Shop said in a statement on Friday (March 11) they were heartbroken that the store, which has been in its current location on Broadway since 1951, will close in the spring. The building and store is owned by the Honky Tonk Circus, LLC and the David McCormick Company, Inc. Explore See latest videos, charts and news “Our goal has always been to protect, promote and preserve the great history of the record shop and building. That desire remains as strong today as ever,” the owners said in a statement. “However, due to changes in circumstances out of our control, it’s...

Where Is America’s Oldest Record Store?

In many ways, the folks who own and work in record stores are some of the most important keepers of recorded music history.  Digital music helped wipe out the big chains. Thankfully we still have mom and pop indie shops. They’ve kept the torches burning for genres that predate streaming, for artists that never had mainstream success — or ones whose work was never reissued — for sourcing rarities from unexpected places, and for rolling with the times, while still holding reverence for what came before. About 90 minutes east of Pittsburgh is George’s Song Shop, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It is believed to be the oldest record store in America. First opened nearly nine decades ago in 1932 by brothers Eugene and Bernie George, the store’s current owner John George (no relation) has been ...