Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010

More memories of Myrtle's Minister of Music

I went by Sounds Better today. It was so bleak looking. I could see the inside but it wasn't the same. I was left with an empty feeling. The music had died. I was out of town when Jeff (Roberts) died and got home the night of his funeral. It all happened so fast. I have been in Myrtle Beach for almost 30 years and the only store I spent more time in than Sounds Familiar was my own.

Jeff was always there to answer any question, recommend a new band once he knew your tastes or just to talk about the state of affairs in Myrtle Beach, New York, Washington...anywhere. I always enjoyed chatting with another small businessman and the problems and joys of running your own business. Jeff would often give me music and later ask what I thought of a new artist. He was always a giver. I went to the store the day Stevie Ray Vaughn died. I mentioned that I missed an opportunity to see him when I lived in D.C. Jeff gave me a large poster of the artist from his store which I still hang in my office. I was there the day Sounds Familiar closed. I asked where Jeff was. They told me he could not bear to be at his "temple" the day it was to shut its doors. I saw him later at his new store and again he seemed to be his old self. We discussed how the music industry had changed and he would help me track down some obscure CDs. I reminded him about the poster he had given me. I brought him a Beatles poster I had for the new store. He showed me the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts figures he had in his window. He was going to try and help me get some. Anything music brought him joy. I saw him last May at the Folk Art Music Festival at H.O.B. There he was in all his joy, talking about South by Southeast and telling me about the new bands on stage. He was not well but he didn't want to talk about the illness. "Rick, what do you think of this guy? He will be at the Train Depot tonight." It was never about him. It was always about the music. Myrtle Beach will miss him and so will I.

- Rick Kligman, Klig's Kites

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