Daddy’s Junky Music Stores

Daddy’s Junky Music Stores. The chain’s name was a sobriquet for exactly what it became: a haven for amateur musicians aspiring to become seasoned pros.

How did the Daddy’s Junky Music chain begin? The genesis was when founder Fred Bramante was a Keene State College student and a bandmate told him of an incarcerated friend who wanted to sell his Hagstrom solid-body guitar to raise bail money. Faced with an “offer he couldn’t refuse,” a deal was struck, Bramante bought the instrument and promptly resold it – for a tidy profit. From that somewhat auspicious origin, Bramante opened DJM’s first outlet circa 1972 in Norwalk, Connecticut in a third-floor walkup. From there, it morphed into a 21-store chain located throughout New England and upstate New York – the largest used-instrument dealer in the world – before closing in 2011.

Partnership, Expansion, Customer service focus

In 1973, Bramante was balancing his young family, a full-time teaching position and his fledgling musical retail business. Enter serendipity. Invited to a “oldies” concert in Salem, New Hampshire, he met Chris Gleason, aka “Good Guy Goodly,” frontman for Gunga & The Dins, and a partnership was born. During the ‘70s, expansion was forefront of Bramante and Gleason’s minds and New Hampshire became the epicenter for all things DJM, with stores emerging in Salem (headquarters), Manchester, Portsmouth and Nashua. Germination was firmly in place and more stores were added throughout the Northeast.

Used gear was the catalyst for the business, but by no means was it a true depiction of what loomed. Manufacturers from the entire instrument arena began to call and DJM soon became the ultimate music store, finding a perfect balance between new and used gear, where customers could upgrade their instruments, amplifiers and PA equipment from their vast selections. Customer service was an enormous component of the DJM lexicon and the chain won numerous industry awards throughout its history, crystallizing it as the alpha and omega of all things musical.

Legacy

During its 39-year history, DJM impacted countless lives, from total beginners and amateur musicians to working pros and a number who achieved major stardom. Further testimony to the chain’s significance is the battery of former employees who continue to work in leadership positions throughout the music industry. If you lived anywhere in the northeast from 1972 to 2011 and you played an instrument, chances are DJM was a part of your life – maybe a very big part.

(by Lew DiTommaso)