Many of you may not remember all of the changes that took place over those years. The store was first opened in a small office space in the Interstate Shopping Center behind the A&W drive-in. This is where Papa Johns Pizza currently resides, and the original location currently houses Daylight Donuts. Those were lean times. Mike lived in the back of the store, his only creature comforts being a hand-me-down couch and a borrowed 5” black-and-white television with rabbit ear antennas. With major product lines like Hondo guitars and Kustom amplifiers, Morgan Music was on its way.

With very humble beginnings and an even more humble bank account, the business slowly began to grow. With a true heart for bluegrass music, Mike pursued Martin Guitars until late in the first year his first major dealership was established and they were on their way. The first order came in; two Martin D18’s and an HD28. Quite an investment for Mike at the time, all three guitars sold on the first day they came in. Soon, Mike along with a friend started taking instruments and accessories to local bluegrass festivals. Word of a true bluegrass music store quickly spread and before too long, the business began to grow and flourish.

As the business grew, so did the need for additional help and in 1984, Mike hired his first employee, Dan Kuse. Dan, at the time, had a full head of hair. Those of you new-comers to Morgan Music’s will know him as the self-described “good looking bald guy” behind the counter. Shows what years of working retail will do to a man. Times were a changin’, as Bob Dylan would say, and news lines were added, including Roland Keyboards, Peavey Electronics, Gibson Guitars and Pearl Drums. With this diverse expansion, people from all musical backgrounds began to discover Morgan Music.

Times were good and Morgan Music was growing. Soon, the small little shop was exploding (literally) at the seams and a change was in order. Mike found a nice little corner lot with an old house on it that looked like it had good potential. Figuring that it was time for him to move out of the back of the store, he moved the old house to the south end of town for his residence, and soon construction began on the new store. By 1986, Morgan Music had a new home in its current location. In a cautious move, part of the building was rented out to another business, a computer store, just to help offset the new expenses.

A new round of employees was hired on as the business really took off. 1995 saw a new employee with a decidedly different approach and attitude (eh, you takin’ ‘bout me, eh?) when east-coaster Tim Bascom moved half-way across the nation to work at Morgan Music. He helped expand the electric guitar and amplifier department and made it his own. Sound reinforcement became a big part of the business as well, including live sound and lighting services, and permanent sound and video installations for churches and schools. In 1994 more space was necessary so an addition was added to the north end of the store and the Morgan Music Sound Showroom was born. This almost doubled the size of the showroom and added much needed storage and workspace. To help with our growing sound and video business, Shane Keller came on board in 1996. Even though he’s seldom seen at the store anymore, rest assured he’s outside of the store working on a sound installation somewhere

Like a middle-aged man loosening his belt a notch, the newly completed expansion was soon packed tight and another expansion was needed. In 1998, Morgan Music said goodbye to the computer store next door, knocked down the remaining wall and we completed our last major expansion and remodeling project. If there is anymore expansion, it has to go through the roof!

The next major change in the Morgan Music saga came in 2000, when Alvin Deskins, the flat-topped banjo player, bought a portion of the business, effectively doubling the bluegrass presence of Morgan Music. Alvin helped to steer Morgan Music’s acoustic business firmly back towards its bluegrass roots. Under Alvin’s tenure, exclusive boutique lines of instruments like Collings and Bourgeois guitars, Hopkins banjos and Beard resonator guitars were added to the brands already available. This increased presence has made Morgan Music routinely one of Gibson’s top-five national dealers of bluegrass instruments.

With sound and video reinforcement continuing to grow, Ben Haney began his indentured servitude in 2002. In spite of being a rabid Tennessee fan he was quickly hired. Ben was not only a guitar player but a drummer as well, and was able to pinch hit wherever need be, and continues in that fashion. Finally in 2007, Jenna English was hired on, being the first woman to break the gender barrier. Raised on bluegrass and having traveled the world and some parts of Greene County pickin’ bluegrass, she quickly helped get Morgan Music back to the bluegrass festivals and quickly became “one of the guys”. In the end it seems that it’s really true, the more things change, the more they stayed the same

It’s been quite a journey over the past 30 years. From humble beginnings, Morgan Music has grown to be a destination location for musicians both locally and nationally. Here’s to looking at the next 30 years…we couldn’t have done it without YOU!