Greater Sudbury music store celebrates 50 high notes

Sudbury music store celebrates 50 high notes The owner of Jett Landry Music Store in Sudbury looks back as he celebrates the store's 50th anniversary Tuesday.

The Jett Landry Music in Sudbury is celebrated its 50th anniversary Tuesday.

Jett Landry, 81, said he opened his own store to help people enjoy and learn music of all genres on all kinds of instruments. Landry said his musical life has been a learning curve, from operating a retail store, to offering lessons to playing almost every instrument except brass.

“A lot of guys ask me hey Jett do you still play? I said no but I am practising I am hoping for the big break,” Landry said with a chuckle.

He said it all started in the 1960s when he couldn’t afford an electric guitar, so he worked at a music store to pay one off. On Dec. 7, 1971, he opened his own store Jett Landry Music.

“The people of Sudbury have been very supportive in the music industry all musicians friends and so on,” Landry said.

“And … the big part of the game was socializing with people and telling them what we know about the music scene.”

Landry said he has seen many changes in the past half decade.

“The different genres of music,” he said. “In our day it was country, rock ‘n’ roll and then disco came in. Now heavy metal is in and folk stuff in the 70s.”

Landry said his business has been successful because of some core values.

“Resilience, determination and guts and patience and whatever, you know, you have to work with what you’ve got,” he said.

“But honesty and integrity is the biggest part of it.”

Landry is in his store interacting with customers on a daily basis. His son is also part of business and plans to carry on this strong musical tradition one day.