Rock-A-Billy’s
Still Rockin’ Without Billy

By Kevin Maloney

Guest Contributor, So You Wanna Be A Rock ‘n Roll Writer

For the last 16 plus years, Billy O’Keefe has been the owner, inspiration, and principal force behind Rock-A-Billy’s in Utica, Michigan. Along with his employees and manager Sean Van Den Boom, Billy has carved out a cozy place for music lovers in the tri-county area to hang out, buy music, or see bands play. Billy’s influence on the local retail music scene has included active memberships in the Alliance of Independent Media Stores (AIMS), and the Detroit Music Retail Collective (DMRC). He has instituted some music education sessions in collaboration with local schools, and has been active in the community at large. Named by WDIV as 2009 Top 5 Best Record and CD Store in Detroit, Rock-A-Billy’s has quickly established itself as one of the best in the region.

Recent rumors of Rock-A-Billy’s going out of business due to a failing economy are false. Health issues caused Billy O’Keefe to step back, and consider closing down. When it came time to close, he surprisingly got several offers from buyers, despite the depressed local economy. As of April, Rock-A-Billy’s has a new owner, although day-to-day management will still be done by Sean.

Billy is convinced that the future life of his store is tied to its ability to be a place where music lovers can hang out, and talk about music. He feels strongly that if record stores like Rock-A-Billy’s are going to survive as brick and mortar outlets, the focus needs to be on selling what the customers really want (like vinyl). They also need to provide a place where employees can offer customers a friendly place to have knowledgeable conversations about the music they love. Billy cited Donna, his wife of 27 years, as a major contributor to his success.

Billy is still involved with AIMS and will nurse his health while easing into retirement. Sorting and culling through the thousands of records in his personal collection. I met with Billy O’Keefe at the Mr. B’s on Van Dyke, to conduct this interview and give him some props.

KM: What made you decide to open a record store in the first place?

It was a dream of mine. It was an unrealized dream, I never thought it would happen. I was lucky enough to have a wife who then and now, supported me one hundred percent. There are not a lot of wives out there that would say, “OK, get rid of the job, get rid of all these great benefits you have and go sell records.” She supported me fully.

KM: Why Utica, as opposed to another city?

I did a lot of market surveys, went to chambers of commerce, and got road reports from the Secretary of State’s office. I found out that Van Dyke was one of the most traveled roads in the state of Michigan. In looking around, this area had two of the most populated high schools in the whole state, “Ike” (Utica Eisenhower) and Utica. We knew that is who we were going to sell to, so that is what I wanted. I also looked at the competition. I would have loved to have been located down on Gratiot. I was not about to battle with Mike (Mike Himes of Record Time), and the rest of the guys down there. You have to consider how far you want to travel from home, too. I found some other areas that would be good, but I was not about to travel an hour and a half on the road. The first location I picked was a bad location for a store, just past 23 Mile Road on Van Dyke. It was a little “out of the way” place that was not costing me much, and I could afford to make mistakes that would not kill me. Luckily for the first three years that is what I did.
 

 KM: What was the first record you ever bought?
The Beatles, “Let It Be.” In fact, it was hanging up in my store until the day I left, with a sign that read, “this is where it all began.” My father about killed me, he could not believe I paid $4.95 for this “damn record”. When I opened Rock-A-Billy’s, I sold my entire personal collection (for inventory), except for my (John) Lennon Box Set. It was the only thing I kept. I bet that is how a lot of people that opened stores got started. You have to sell your collection at some point.  

KM: Which artists did you connect with and what were some of your first records?

The Beatles, and John Lennon, my son's middle name is Lennon. Lucky he was not a girl (laughing), she would have been (named) Eleanor Rigby or Penny Lane. (John) Lennon’s primal scream record; not really called “primal scream”, but that is when he was going through his primal scream therapy (John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band - Ed.). (Songs) Mother and all that other stuff on it.

The Who, saw them at the Silverdome. It was hell, we slept outside the night before. It was the Who by god, with Keith (Moon)! It does not get much better. That is something that stuck with me forever.

Records that became more important to me through this whole process, came from artists like Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, The Flatlanders, and Jimmie Dale Gilmore. All the singer-songwriters, the west Texas guys, and the music they put out. A lot of the Steve Earle work, I’ve enjoyed the stuff he has done.

KM: What are some of your prized records, at Rock-A-Billy's or in your personal collection?

Primal Scream, as I said, but one that people always find to be strange from me is the Who, “By Numbers.” I think it is incredible, an amazing record. Also, Townes Van Zandt or Dublin Blues from Guy Clark are just a treasure. There’s not much better than that.

KM: Do you remember what the first record Rock-A-Billy’s ever sold was?

It was John Lennon, “Imagine.” The reason I know is because my brother bought it, put it in a frame, and gave it back to me.

KM: What record did you sell the most at Rock-A-Billy’s?

I don’t know, thinking Taproot’s, “Blue-Sky Research.” We had an in-store (appearance) with Taproot, and the line went around the store for that one. The numbers lasted throughout the year; they are a local band (Ann Arbor, MI), (Blue Sky Research) being that kind of record, and we were that kind of store.

 
KM: Are there any records you wish you would have bought more stock?

Yep. Any Record Store Day item. I’m finding it is getting harder and harder every year (to get more copies to sell). Does that make it better, or does that make it worse. I don’t know.

KM: Any records you regret buying too much stock?

What’s his name? The guy that plays guitar with a head dress on at Venice Beach. He had the guitar with the swirl - what’s his name? (Venice Beach guitarist Harry Perry - Ed.)

Usually it is not a bad record, but that somebody else has it as an exclusive package. Target or Meijer may have it with something else on it, and that is where the customer went to get it. It was not that it was bad, just that it was a bad deal for us.

KM: What is the most unique record sold through your store?

The one that I’m remembering, a lady came in and sold me. It was the whole Beatles vinyl import collection, in a black wooden roll-up box. Someone gave them to her, and I do not know what I paid. I slept that night, but I did not sleep well. I paid her a decent amount. She made money, she did not pay anything for it, and she was happy to get it. I think I eventually sold it for $400.

KM: What’s the most Rock-A-Billy’s ever sold a single record?

That was probably the biggest one item sale. I used to have this customer that came in with her daughter. She would always spend about $600 to $700 every time she came in (to shop). She just asked me what to buy, I would be honest, and she bought it. I never steered her in the wrong direction. I told her, “if I give you something that you hate, bring it back.”  

 

KM: What are some of your favorite in-store appearances that have taken place at Rock-A-Billy’s?

Rodriguez. John Sinclair was cool, he was sleeping in the parking lot just prior to (the in-store). Ben Kweller came in, and he is a really cool guy. The reason why his in-store was so great is because of the way it happened. He had to come in around 2 o’clock in the afternoon, because of an early sound check. All the kids were in school, so I didn’t know what to do. I called up the school and got in touch with the music director. All the kids were released early, and if they came to the concert to get a poster signed, they got credit for being in class that day. We had the whole back room filled with kids. It was like a campfire sing-a-long. It was fantastic! 






KM: Do you think that there’s a future for independent record stores like Rock-A-Billy’s in America?

Yes, and if you are not using the Internet you may have already failed. We’ve got a mailing list of around 4,000 people. It is amazing the information you can get for nothing. At one point, the labels were paying me to get some of that information.

Facebook and YouTube - there are many options out there, and if you are not using them, then you’re costing yourself. We’ve had things set up where if you sign up on the list, we’ll give you a (promotional) CD. We get involved with the community, about every two months we do something. We’d get promotional items and ship them out to the troops. That is the unique thing about being an “indie” (independent record store), you can do anything you want.

KM: What’s your fondest memory of running the store?

Two years ago, what I did was kind of like in junior high where people would say, “I’ll give you dollar for every mile you run.” Well, for us it was how much money for every inch of my ponytail that got cut off. Doug Podell came in, and did it on Christmas Eve. We almost raised a thousand bucks! We also did a Johnny Cash 70th birthday party, which he heard about it and sent me an autographed CD.

The biggest thing for me was at the end, customers would come in and believe it or not were in tears. Saying that Rock-A-Billy's meant something, it was not just about buying a CD. I was taking care of these people when they were in high school, and now they are lawyers, doctors, and Indian chiefs maybe (laughing). It is realizing at the end, the impact you can make.  

Rock-A-Billy’s

8411 Hall Road

Utica, MI 48317

586-731-0188

http://www.myspace.com/rockabillys

http://twitter.com/rockabillys

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Utica-MI/Rock-A-Billys-New-Used-CDs/113838728631887

LINER NOTES: Special thanks to Kevin Maloney, Guest Contributor through So You Wanna Be A Rock Writer. Find our more below about how you can be a guest contributor for the Bearded Hag.

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