Record Alley
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music retail |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Founder | Jim Stephens, Shelly Stephens |
| Headquarters | Palm Desert, California , United States |
Area served | Palm Desert, California |
| Products | Music merchandise, records |
Record Alley is a music retail store located within the Westfield Palm Desert shopping center in Palm Desert, California.
History
Established in 1978 by Jim and Shelly Stephens, Record Alley initially operated on North Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs, California.[1][2][3][4][5] The band Missing Persons held an in-store autograph session there that attracted a large crowd of fans.[1] In 1985, the store relocated to what was then known as the Palm Desert Mall.[1][4] Since moving, Record Alley has welcomed visits from notable musicians including Alice Cooper, Billy Gibbons, Barry Manilow, and New Boyz.[1] Notably, New Boyz hosted a dance competition on-site that escalated into a disturbance, which was subsequently reported by KESQ-TV.[1]
During the Big 4 concert in April 2011, featuring bands such as Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica, and Slayer at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, Record Alley experienced a shortage of Anthrax merchandise.[6]
In November 2013, Record Store Day celebrations at the shop included live performances by local artists.[3]
By April 2015, several hundred attendees participated in the store's Record Store Day event.[7]
Following the holiday season in December 2016, Record Alley saw a notable increase in sales.[8]
In October 2017, the store offered the debut release Hymns From the Other Side by Hellions for purchase.[9] Additionally, Reborn by the Sunshine, featuring banjo player and hair/makeup artist Chelsea Dorris, performed at the venue.[10]
In December 2020, Record Alley announced its closure after more than four decades of operation, citing challenges including those related to the coronavirus pandemic.[11]
Reception
Ed Christman from Billboard characterized Record Alley as "distinctive, if not singular, for two reasons [...] one of the few remaining independent shops operating within an enclosed shopping mall." The store also earned praise from Josh Homme, founder of Queens of the Stone Age and former ambassador for Record Store Day. Additionally, Record Alley was honored with the Coachella Valley Independent award for "Best Retail Music/Video Store" in 2016.
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<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedChavous 2017 - ↑ Blueskye, Brian. "'Closing on a high note': Record Alley will end 42-year run in desert". The Desert Sun. Retrieved 2021-09-23.