Mark Bennett: John Beeson reflects on decades of supplying musical dreams

Nov. 17—John Beeson's interest in music runs as deep as the rows of vintage and new guitars lining the walls of his Music Shoppe on South 25th Street.

It's why he's still on the job 50 years after starting his business.

It was a humble start. Beeson opened the Music Shoppe at Fourth Street and Wabash Avenue in October 1973. His inventory included "a few strings, picks and three guitars," he recalled Tuesday morning. The first six years weren't easy, he said.

Today, the shop on South 25th — where Beeson moved in 1979 — contains 1,200 guitars and accessories, along with amps and other sound equipment, violins, mandolins, banjos and drum accessories. Beeson also has "a good size warehouse." It's a collection that has attracted famous buyers — some in person, some through shipping orders — such as Paul McCartney, Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill of ZZ Top, Eddie Van Halen and other music greats.

Its atmosphere features a sea of electric and acoustic guitars, hanging neatly by make — Fender, Gibson, Gretsch, Martin, etc. A row of photographs of recording artists and musicians — many bearing autographs — stretches the length of a several walls.

Brad Davis, who's worked in Beeson's shop since 1974, said, "There are very few stores left like us in the United States."

Terre Haute had 11 shops selling music instruments when Beeson started the Music Shoppe, ranging from small operations to mainstream businesses like Paige's Music, the Conservatory of Music, Henderson Music and others. Those numbers dwindled as online buying increased.

Beeson's four-person crew, though, also services guitars, gives music lessons and answers technical questions. "The people that I have know quite a bit," Beeson said of Davis, Jace Farnsworth, Christian Hawkins and Kyle Beeson, John's son.

The 73-year-old Beeson himself is a source of musical answers and advice, from more than a half-century of performing as a musician; a past stint of running sound systems — with friend and musician Steve Peters — for acts such as REO Speedwagon, Roy Clark, Frankie Valli, Kris Kristofferson, Frank Sinatra Jr. and Chubby Checker; and five decades of selling and repairing instruments. Beeson also served as producer for arguably the most popular recording by a Terre Haute rock band, Goliath's 1970s album "Hot Rock and Thunder."

The cover of that vinyl LP hangs on the shop's wall, too.

"He knows what he's talking about," Davis said of Beeson.

Beeson's career got rooted in his boyhood, growing up nine miles from New York City in Maywood, N.J. His dad, Jack Charles Beeson, was a singer who'd appeared in five episodes of the Little Rascals' "Our Gang" short comedy films. Fortunately for Beeson, his dad liked rock-and-roll. Another plus — one of Beeson's Jersey friends was the cousin of doo-wop singing legend Dion DiMucci.

The family moved during Beeson's high school years to Indianapolis, where a friend's dad operated a music store. A seed was planted.

College brought Beeson to Terre Haute. He got a degree at Indiana State University in industrial education, with a trio of minors in psychology, sociology and physical education. After a student teaching stint, Beeson concluded "that wasn't for me. So I decided to starve for eight years — I started this music business. That's something I'd always wanted to do."

There was a learning curve involved.

"My thought was, you just sit around and play guitar all day long," Beeson said. "And I think that's the idea of a lot of people that go into business. It's a lot of long hours and hard work. But it's been fun — 50 years of fun."

His college education helped. The industrial education courses benefitted his ability to repair and upgrade instruments. His psychology and sociology courses help him interact with customers. And, as far as physical education, a measure of endurance was necessary during extremely busy parts of his career. That includes his years, decades ago, of playing in a touring band and running his shop.

"Many times, playing music, I'd get home at 6 a.m. and get here at 10 a.m. and wouldn't think anything of it," Beeson said.

His performing resumé includes eight years with the Terre Haute blues band Dicky James and the Blue Flames. The group recorded albums and earned top blues band in Indiana honors. "One weekend we'd be in Mississippi. The next in Michigan," Beeson said. "I couldn't do it now, but I'm glad I did it then."

These days, he plays R&B and dance music in the Terre Haute area with the popular Rhythm Relics with Paul Scott, Mike White, Bob Freeze, Jim Rasley and Kenny Copper.

And the touring musicians often make a stop in the Music Shoppe, including those from the past era when Hulman Center offered music concerts through the present as The Mill has filled the void of concerts through that new facility near the riverfront. Some of those nationally touring bands and performers meet Beeson at guitar trade shows around the country, including in Nashville, Texas and Chicago.

Acclaimed rock-funk band Living Colour played The Mill in 2021, and the group's legendary guitarist Vernon Reid and singer Corey Glover came through Beeson's store. Reid bought several Johnny Cash-related items.

That moment particularly impressed Farnsworth, who's worked in Beeson's shop for a year, as did a visit by the band Blackberry Smoke. "It's a cool experience," Farnsworth said.

Beeson has no plans to retire. He's got two sons (a daughter passed away), five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. And a desire to keep enabling guitar enthusiasts' ambitions.

"People have asked me that for years — 'How long are you going to continue?'" Beeson said. "If you're enjoying it, you want to keep doing it."

Mark Bennett can be reached at 812-231-4377 or mark.bennett@tribstar.com.