JAIMIE VERNON – SAM THE UBIQUITOUS MAN

This week, the legendary music retailer Sam Sniderman – the ‘Sam’ in Sam The Record Man music stores – passed away at the age of 92. The outpouring of tributes to one of the Yonge Street’s last retail mavens has been endless. He was a hero to Canadian musicians, an ally to record labels and a hard-nosed employer to his staff and franchisees. [see selected quotes from Facebook and the Twitterverse below]. I got the rare opportunity to deal with Sniderman on FOUR levels – media writer, musician, record label rep, and employee.

Segarini: Sam the Record Man

Sam Sniderman: For our readers from the U.S and the rest of the world, Sam was to record retail stores what Col. Sanders was to fried chicken. Someone who not only loved what he did, but did it better than anyone else. The only difference between him and the Col. was that Sam never sold out to big business and closed his stores rather than cheapen the product and sell out. He truly was one of a kind. I say was, because Sam passed away either late last night or early this morning, surrounded by family and friends, in his sleep. He was 92.

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Jaimie Vernon – Life’s A Canadian Rock: The Making of Takin’ Care of Christmas

We interrupt the chronological saga of my musical come-uppance to bring you a tale of Christmas future –  some 20 years from where my band The Swindle had long been forgotten. Though for you, dear reader, it is a tale of a Christmas, or two, past.

It’s no secret to many who know me that I would go on from being a snot-nosed guitar player in a punk band to CEO and resident curmudgeon of my own label called Bullseye Records. That all started in 1985.