Dearborn Music has been a staple in the Detroit metro area since 1956 and is one of the hottest hubs around for music enthusiasts. This family-owned business offers a wide variety of media and merchandise and has been featured as one of the ‘10 Great Record Stores in America’ and The ‘Best of Detroit’. This year marks the 65th anniversary of this small local business and they are celebrating in a big way.
Earlier this month, Dearborn Music opened a second store location at the Grove Retail Center in downtown Farmington. Owners Kevin LeAnnais and Rick LeAnnais announced in May that Dearborn Music would be expanding into Farmington, and with a second store on the way, these brothers got to work on transforming the old Dress Barn on Grand River into a retail space that could fit their brand and budget.
“It’s a lot of fun opening a second location and trying to get all those puzzle pieces together,” Rick says. The pieces of this music puzzle took time to come together, but the big picture was finally forming and the buzz around town was growing. “To have two music stores again in the metro area blows my mind,” says Kevin, “I wish my parents were around to see it.”
Kevin and Rick have been working for Dearborn Music since the 80s and eventually purchased the shop from their father Phil LeAnnais in 2001. Alex LeAnnais, son of Rick LeAnnais, is following in the footsteps of this family business as a manager at the new Farmington location. “I’m excited to expand our business and to share our love of music with others,” he says. “Working in a record store has allowed me to grow my knowledge of music and share that passion with our customers.”
“How can you make it 65 years?” Rick asks, “It’s the loyalty of your customer base and your employees.” Among those employees, you’ll find music majors, artists, musicians, audio-tech experts, and seasoned music industry veterans. Brianne O’Shea has been with Dearborn Music for over four years and is now an assistant manager in Farmington. “It’s so nice to see us branch out into a new spot,” she says. “There aren’t many record stores around anymore, and being right in the heart of downtown Farmington is such a good spot for us to grow and connect with the community.”
Record stores have been a haven for vinyl collectors, music lovers, and pop culture connoisseurs for decades. Customers who visit the Dearborn and Farmington stores can expect to find eclectic music genres, rare records, and exclusive releases on vinyl and CDs. But this shop offers more than just music, browse through their shelves to find t-shirts, puzzles, games, socks, posters, and photography from Detroit artists Leni Sinclair, Robert Alford, Gary Grimshaw, and Carl Lundgren.
So what is the secret ingredient that creates a successful record store recipe? “Our main ingredient is selection,” says Rick, “Other places might not carry the selection we do and we can cater to the whole family from grandchild to grandparent.” Whether you’re looking for the latest music releases or building your collection of classic vinyl, Dearborn Music is a sound choice for every generation of music fans.
Visit the Dearborn Music Farmington location on Wednesday, September 22nd for their grand opening event. Festivities begin at 11 a.m. and will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony, promotional sales, and merch giveaways. Visit www.dearbornmusic.net for more information.
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