{"id":23391,"date":"2021-03-02T14:20:12","date_gmt":"2021-03-02T22:20:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/?p=30000018904"},"modified":"2021-03-04T18:12:08","modified_gmt":"2021-03-05T02:12:08","slug":"after-death-of-clint-gilmore-long-beachs-last-independent-music-store-might-shutter-forever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/after-death-of-clint-gilmore-long-beachs-last-independent-music-store-might-shutter-forever","title":{"rendered":"After death of Clint Gilmore, Long Beach’s last independent music store might shutter forever"},"content":{"rendered":"

Long Beach\u2019s last independent music store, Gilmore Music, may see the end of its days soon unless someone steps up to save the 75-year-old storefront.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a tough predicament for Gilmore Music after its owner and operator, Clint Gilmore, died of cancer in November 2020. He was 70. Clint\u2019s wife, Linda, has since stepped up to run the business, but after six months Linda said she\u2019s not sure how much longer she can keep it up.<\/p>\n

Whether relief comes by community intervention, a new buyer, or a generous benefactor willing to shell out the funds to keep the store operated by its current staff\u2014as Linda has her fingers crossed for\u2014is up to anyone. But ultimately, Linda hopes that Clint\u2019s store and legacy can live on.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it\u2019s not sustainable, I\u2019m going to have to liquidate. It\u2019s not an easy thing to step into. It\u2019s not even an easy thing for me, and I have a master\u2019s degree for Godsakes,\u201d Linda said. Prior to taking over the shop, Linda worked as a special education teacher. \u201cClint just knew how to do it. He was a good businessman.\u201d<\/p>\n

Glenn Gilmore, Clint’s father, a long-time musician opened up the music store on Seventh Street and Cherry Avenue in 1946, just five years after he married his wife, Esther. Over the years, Glenn Gilmore earned a fine reputation for his instrument repair work.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The interior or Gilmore Music in the mid 1950s. Clint, a young boy at the time, sits behind his father Glenn, who is addressing the crowd of musicians. The musician towards the left of the image, playing the clarinet, is New Orleans jazz musician, Pete Fountain. Image courtesy Linda Gilmore.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“Glenn Gilmore was known as the violin specialist around town,” said Ilse Benz, owner of Gilmore Music’s neighboring music venue, Que Sera.<\/p>\n

Both Clint and his older brother, Greg, grew up helping their father run the business. But in his free time, Clint would play with his band, Bittersweet Seven.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Clint Gilmore (far right) photographed with some members of Bittersweet Seven in the 1970s. Photo courtesy Linda Gilmore.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“Clint loved all kinds of music,” Linda said.<\/p>\n

When Clint took over his father’s shop in 1988, he had big plans. He expanded inventory, adding a more diverse range of instruments from ethnic to electronic assortments and built a recording studio in the back of the store. Gilmore Music soon became the one-stop-shop for any and all music needs.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was the shop to go to at one point back then,” said Antoine Arvizu, drummer and owner of Compound recording studio.<\/p>\n

In the early 90s, Arvizu said he spent a lot of time in Gilmore Music’s studio working for nearly five years as a part-time recording engineer for Clint.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a fun little room and reminded me of those high school band rooms in the 60\u2019s where they had that acoustic wall board with the little holes in it,\u201d he said. “Clint was a funny cat…easy to work with.”<\/p>\n

While working at Gilmore’s Arvizu met local musician Ikey Owens, the Grammy-award winning keyboardist most known for his work with Jack White and The Mars Volta. Arvizu said Owens recorded his first album with his band, Pocket Lent, at the studio.<\/p>\n

\u201cTurned into a 25-year relationship of record-making with him,\u201d Arvizu said. Owens died in 2014.<\/p>\n

Gilmore Music saw its fair share of high-profile musicians visit the shop over the years, including members of Long Beach bands Sublime and War, Danny Elfman, Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre and Melissa Etheridge, who, during the start of her career, would play frequently next door at Que Sera.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Clint Gilmore photographed in the 1970s. Photo courtesy Linda Gilmore.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Clint was considered a savant when it came to repairing instruments, able to fix anything, Linda said, adding that he would use the same tools dating back to the 1900s his father and grandfather used to repair the instruments.<\/p>\n

“Clint was brilliant,” Benz said and recalled a memory she shared with Clint regarding an alto sax she took in for repair. “He rattled off the name of the company, where the company was located, what state, it was like a little history lesson on that alto sax in a pawn shop.”<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s really what he loved, is the repair part, more than anything,\u201d Linda said of her husband. \u201cBrass was a bigger challenge he really looked forward to. After he had straightened out all the dents and polished it, had it all up and working\u2014he was so proud of that.”<\/p>\n

Local blues and Americana musician Mike Malone, who recorded the first of his music at the studio inside Gilmore Music, said he remembers Clint as \u201csuper dry, you know, deadpan\u201d but always remembered to ask about his son, who picked up his first violin from Gilmore Music when he was in middle school.<\/p>\n

Clint also had a soft spot for helping people, Malone said, and would give him the \u201crighteous bro deal\u201d when he needed to buy harmonicas. For 15 years, Clint supported the Jazz Angels, a music education non-profit founded by Barry Cogert. Clint helped with repairs, monetary donations\u2014even gave away instruments to some of the kids in the program.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe liked to help out the college kids that were into music,\u201d Linda said. \u201cThat was his thing, whenever he would advertise [hiring] he\u2019d try to get college kids to come in and try to work around their schedules so they could make some money.\u201d<\/p>\n

By the mid 2000s, Gilmore Music became the last independently owned, non-specialized music store in the city\u2014outlasting both World of Strings and Whittaker Music in Los Altos. Now, Long Beach might have to say goodbye to its music mainstay.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Clint Gilmore in 2015. Image courtesy Linda Gilmore.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Working to help keep Gilmore Music standing is Amy Eriksen, Director of Angels Gate Cultural Center in San Pedro and former music education teacher for the Long Beach Unified School District. Eriksen said that once she heard of Clint\u2019s passing and the uncertain future of the store, she felt compelled to help.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is our last music store in town. I think it would be a big loss to our community if we didn\u2019t have one,\u201d Eriksen said.<\/p>\n

Over the last few weeks, Eriksen and Linda have met with various arts, music and business leaders in the city to brainstorm potential uses for the space. While Linda ultimately wants to see her husband\u2019s store and legacy continue, she recognizes the challenge of finding a buyer to run a music store during one of the toughest economic crises in history.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the goal is to see what the community could do to keep Gilmore\u2019s music legacy in the community but get her out of having to run it,\u201d Eriksen said. \u201cI think art and music in this town is very important. I\u2019m a product of Long Beach Unified\u2019s love for music.\u201d<\/p>\n

Arvizu said he hopes Gilmore Music sticks around, believing that independently owned shops like Clint’s store, are the heart and spirit of any music community.<\/p>\n

“I miss those mom and pop shops,” Arvizu said. “You know, someone who was willing to get up every day and just run a music store, because he loved music. He loved repairing the gear, he loved his clients. He loved the community.”<\/p>\n

Gilmore is survived by his wife of 37 years, Linda; daughter, Ashley; sisters, Laura and Kathy and brother, Greg.<\/p>\n

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