THE ‘VINYL’ DAYS: Colony Music, a destination for 64 years, will close its doors within weeks, in large part because its landlord plans to quintuple the rent to as much as $5 million a month. (Kristy Leibowitz)
THE ‘VINYL’ DAYS: Colony Music, a destination for 64 years, will close its doors within weeks, in large part because its landlord plans to quintuple the rent to as much as $5 million a month. (Photos: Kristy Leibowitz)
The song is over.
Times Square record Mecca, Colony Music, a favorite attraction for performing icons such as Elvis, Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson, will close after 64 years next month because of rapidly rising rents.
Founded in 1948, the store has a stockpile of more than 1 million vinyl records and also sells sheet music from virtually every Broadway show and film ever made.
“I’m devastated,” said co-owner Michael Grossbardt, whose father, Harold S. “Nappy” Grossbardt, started the store with partner Sidney Turk back when big-band impresario Benny Goodman was a customer.
“My dad would be crying in his grave. He would be extremely upset,” he said. “It’s been in my family forever.”
Michael Jackson was an especially big fan, dropping by the store regularly from the time he was a kid singer in the Jackson 5. When he got older, he had a secret entrance and would knock when he wanted to visit.
“Michael Jackson would be sitting here humming a song to me.
“I always wanted to recommend things, but I didn’t want to offend him. One time, we were in the store, and word got out that he was in here. I had to take him downstairs and sneak him out the back exit.”
Grossbardt said the music at Colony is about to be silenced because his landlord plans to jack up the monthly rent from around $1 million to as much as $5 million.
“The landlord raised the rent, and it will be impossible to survive, especially with people now downloading music on the Internet,” Grossbardt said.
“When landlords want this type of rent, it is impossible for anyone to survive unless you’re backed by a big corporation.”
“It is a tough environment for the music business. All the mom-and-pop stores in this area are going away — this is the end of an era,” Grossbardt said, on the verge of tears.
He said his partner, Mark Turk, the son of the store’s other founder, wants to close. Turk declined to comment.
“I feel horrible; I’m depressed. This feels like a death in the family. This store has always been in my life.”
Grossbardt said he plans to house the store’s vast record collection in his garage and eventually liquidate it on the Internet.
The store was first located at Broadway and West 52nd Street, but in 1970, it moved to its current location in the Brill Building at the corner of West 49th Street and Broadway, where its neon signs and windows full of sheet music have been a beacon for music lovers.
“I have the entire Beatles catalog, psychedelic records, Blue Note [label] jazz and so much more,” said Grossbardt.
“These are all one of a kind. We have every genre of music that you could think of. Our motto is, ‘I found it at the colony.’ ”