Even though Owensboro Music Center founder and owner Gordon Wilcher says his professional life is going through a lot of changes right now, he also says he’s excited to see what comes next. Wilcher, who’s run Owensboro Music Center for 46 years, sold his Breckenridge Street building this week, and announced last week that his store would be approaching the end of a decades-long run.
Wilcher was stationed at his 1303 Breckenridge Street location for over 20 years, and while it’s sad to see the end of an era, Wilcher says the outpouring of support he’s received from the community has changed his entire perspective on things.
“It almost brings me to tears to read some of the Facebook comments I’ve received,” he said. “One man who went on to become well-known in Nashville posted something that shocked me — he said I was one of his three greatest role models. I had no idea.”
Other comments left by current and former customers, friends and family members, and other members of the community have left Wilcher feeling surprised, humbled and eternally grateful for his years with Owensboro Music Center, he says.
However, the change that comes with moving on hasn’t been easy, either.
“It’s like a dual-edged sword,” Wilcher said. “Trying to get used to the changes and working at having a different life — it’s really exciting, but it’s also hard.”
Wilcher said he has a lot to be grateful for right now, that things in his personal life are going well, and, in a new way, so is business. After only two weeks on the market, Wilcher’s Owensboro Music Center building was sold within hours after two different bidders fought for it.
“I sold the building on Saturday, and that was due to some unbelievable luck I had,” he said. “A guy came in and said, ‘I’m looking for a property, and it all happened so quickly. I was so grateful and surprised that it sold that quickly because I’ve also got my house on the market right now.”
Aside from the stress of trying to sell two different properties at the same time, Wilcher said selling his building so quickly was a relief because of the losses he incurred as a storeowner with a business sitting in front of months-long roadwork. The RWRA underground work did leave one lane open on Breckenridge Street for much of its run, but Wilcher said his store lost at least 40 percent of its normal revenue during that time.
However, Wilcher also said he’s well aware of the changes happening in the music business, including society’s move to online shopping in favor of brick-and-mortar.
“I’ve come to realize the changes happening in the music industry. Online sales — they aren’t going away,” he said. “Even with that being said, I think people are really going to miss the personal care they receive from human interaction, especially in this industry.”
One of Wilcher’s longtime customers, Drew Aud, who is also a musician, decided to take the lessons he’d learned from Wilcher and run forward with them in creating his own music store, Midtown Music, which will be located on Triplett Street, next to Deloris’ Cafe.
“He said, ‘I need to keep this going. I want to keep the legacy alive,’” Wilcher said of Aud. “He’s working on it now. It was an honor to hear him say that.”
Wilcher said he won’t be involved with the new store, but he will be there to offer advice and help Aud with inventory as he works to get his new business up and running.
Owensboro Music Center will be open for the next couple weeks, and Wilcher said that while most of his inventory has already been sold, there are still some fixtures and other pieces for sale inside his shop.
Although it hasn’t always been easy, Wilcher said he’s realized it’s not all about the money, or the hard times he’s endured along the way. He plans to go with the flow until he figures out what his next move will be.
“It’s OK. I’ve got great things happening,” he said. “My plan is, I don’t have a plan. I don’t know about retiring because I’m just so used to working. I would like to take a little time off, though. I’ve had two to three job offers from people, so there’s always options. Money is great, I’ve made a good living, but the greatest treasure is in the relationships you make along the way.”
