Aspiring guitarists, fiddlers and banjo pickers should find everything they need to become great musicians at Downtown Music.
The business, which is owned and operated by local bluegrass musician Bob Lewis, opened Thursday, Sept. 1 at 107A Washington Street.
Music has been a lifetime passion for Lewis, who turned 75 last month, and celebrated his birthday by playing a live concert at Colton’s Steakhouse in Poplar Bluff.
“I can’t think of a better way to turn 75,” Lewis says, smiling.
He was accompanied by his family.
“My wife, Barbara, plays bass, and our children all play instruments,” he says. Each of them, Rodley, Katrina, Bobette, Nanette, Little Bob, and Joy, were taught by their dad.
Together, the proud parents and six of their children make up the Lewis Family Bluegrass Band. They also had a daughter, Carrie, who passed away in 2016.
Lewis, is a third generation musician. His mother, Bertha, and granddad Clarence Arnold both played the guitar and left a legacy he was only too happy to pass on to a fourth and fifth generation, and potentially beyond--as far as the Lewis family will take the baton and run with it.
“All of my children and grandchildren play,” Lewis says, with obvious pride.
The family includes several great-grandchildren, whom he hopes will take up the challenge when they get older.
Lewis also makes himself available to teach others. He holds classes on Mondays and Fridays by appointment, for $20 a lesson. He will accept students as young as 7, which, he says, “is how old Little Bob was when I taught him.
“I’ll try {teaching} them that young,“ he says, adding, “It depends on how quickly they catch on, and whether they stick with it.”
Classes last up to 45 minutes, if the student is eager to learn and diligent.
In addition to these services, Lewis does minor repairs on string instruments.
The store offers guitars, fiddles and banjos, with everything necessary to keep the instruments protected and in good repair. His inventory includes strings, cases, straps, and stands.
He also sells amplifiers for electric guiltars, and drumsticks.