Music Man Murray by Richard Parks
Music Man Murray by Richard Parks is a documentary portrait of Murray Gershenz, 88, as he struggles to find a buyer for the hundreds of thousands of records in his LA store. It's a charming and sad documentary.
Vinyl is dead, and America’s rare record stores now dot the landscape like temples to obsolescence. 'Music Man Murray' takes us inside of one of the largest record collections in the world at the hour of its demise, and examines the complicated legacy of the man who built it, octogenarian Murray Gershenz.
Though business has never been worse, Murray (a former synagogue cantor and opera buff) still spends most days inside the store with his collection, housed inside a dusty old cinderblock warehouse on Exposition Boulevard off of the 10 freeway in Los Angeles. Nearing 90, Murray has put the business up for sale, but is struggling to find a buyer. Meanwhile, Murray's son, the emotional Irv, 53, clings to the collection and his father with an almost pathetic obeisance—though he must soon say goodbye to both, forever.
The drama between the sensible father and emotional son, dual eccentrics who evoke contrasting sympathies in the viewer, provides a humorous and moving counterpoint to the story about Murray’s legacy in his 22-minute documentary portrait.
On 15th June 2013, NPR reported they received an email from Mr. Parks informing them Murray Gershenz sold his music collection. "A fleet of 52-foot-long trucks formed a small convoy to whisk his music to a new home. Mr. Parks says that Murray is in fair health and in good spirits."
Here's the NPR snippet. I wonder who bought Murray's records.