MSNBC is reporting that after 47 years of service, famed Mid-City used vinyl vendor Music Man Murray will be closing up shop in the next few months. It's a tragedy that will surely be greeted by a strange and fevered chaos, considering that the article also points out that “everything must go, from the rare 10-inch vinyl LPs, to the even rarer 19th century Edison cylinders. Even that framed, mint-condition Yesterday And Today album by the Beatles, the one with the notorious 'butcher cover' that makes it worth thousands of dollars.”

Oddly enough, the shop's shuttering is purportedly neither due to monetary concern, nor the advancing age of Murray Gershenz, 87. Truth be told, Gershenz has been enticed by a force far more visceral: the call of fame. He's had recent turns in the bro-tastic comedies The Hangover and I Love You, Man not to mention a recurring role on The Sarah Silverman Program, and evidently he'd just rather do that.

The vinyl community, which can use as many friends as it can get, has just experienced a rare form of heartbreak: watching grandpa willingly walk away from the family after decades of great storytelling and faithful care-taking. Here's hoping a wealthy benefactor will take the reigns. Or that Murray will just hand the whole thing over to INCHES.

Music Man Murray is located at 5055 Exposition Blvd, 90016. (323) 734-9146.

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