Yesterday, I heard some very sad news. Tower Records was sold to "Great American Group" and will be liquidated. Essentially, "Tower Records/Books/Video" is going out of business. I know that this news has nothing to do with Bob Wilkins, but I think it does. I am sure that at least 90% if not more, of Bob Wiulkins fans have patronize Tower Records. I was 12 years old when Tower Records first opened up their first store here in Stockton, California in 1974. It was Tower's 13TH Store in their chain. They opened up at "Lincoln Center South" Shopping Center. They went through 3 locations, expanding each time: 1.) 1974 @ 6557 Pacific Ave. 2.) 1980 @ 6475 Pacific Ave. 3.) 1989 @ 6623 Pacific Ave. All of these locations were in the same shopping center. There was also a "Tower Posters/Plants/Books" in the same shopping center from 1974-1977. Back in the 1970's, Tower was the only place, a valley boy like me to go to. The original hours were 9:AM-Midnight, 7 Days A Week, 365 days A Year! Tower is also the store where I first discovered Scott Moon's fine Fanzine "Planet X Magazine". An End Of An Era!!!!!!!!
Excellent blog!
ReplyDeleteI too lament the closing of Tower Records. I think what hurt them was not Wal-Mart,but Itunes because now people could find the obscure CD's they could only find in Tower now could be found on Itunes.
Is Bob Wilkins coming to the Bay Area for Halloween this year?
Yeah it's sad. I grew up in North Highlands just off of Watt Ave in the 60's and early to mid 70's. I remember going into Tower on Watt Ave. many times as a kid or when my mother was bowling at Country Club Lanes next to the strip mall that Tower was located in. I also remember the Tower theater location too. Sac has lost sooooo much in the way of the old haunts. It's sad. I miss the sixties.
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