I reveled in the music of the 1960’s…all of it. Beatles, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Flying Burrito Brothers, et al. After graduating from the U of O, and realizing I’d probably lose my mind starting another three years of College for Law School, I took a job selling stereos. It was the beginning of the great period when every young person felt they needed to own a good music system. Not the piece of furniture called a console their parents owned, but their own component hi-fi system.

The army guys returning from Vietnam bought component stereos in the Military PX’s and brought them home. Sansui and Pioneer receivers, Akai reel to reel tape decks and Pioneer turntables. The sound was so much better than a console and they could play really LOUD.

After working in that first store, which was a TV store with one room dedicated to stereos, I decided I ought to start my own. I was 26 and blessedly unaware of the survival rate of new, small businesses. I opened that first Chelsea Audio in Lake Oswego because there wasn’t a good stereo store there so I could get some of the best franchises. JBL, Bang & Olufsen, Phase Linear, Kenwood, Revox and Teac. It was a stereo geeks’ dream!