Riverview Vinyl Company Aims To Spread The Love Of Music To The Community

RiverView Vinyl, a business built on passion for music, sells records and other vintage music items. 

The store encourages  musical exploration and discovery. Whether through a new genre, artist or even a customer’s first vinyl record, RiverView Vinyl wants to spread the love of music and integrate it deeper into people’s hearts. 

Owner Stephen Ramsey invites all to come and peruse the store. 

“Feel welcome to come in here and browse around, listen to things (and) ask questions — whatever it is you want to do,” he said. “It’s an inviting place, and we hope everybody enjoys music the same way that we do.”

Ramsey took over ownership in 2020, but the company reopened in July 2021. He is working to renovate and revamp the building into something much more than it was before. 

 Already, antiques and vintage record players decorate the shop, as well as works by local artists. Ramsey hopes to put more rare items up for display throughout the shop.

Hidden gems abound in a store so rich with history like this one. For example,    only a few of Robert Tanner’s  — a deep soul music icon – records remain in existence. One of them passed through RiverView Vinyl. 

“I think only a handful, like maybe five or so, have surfaced on the internet since back in the day,” Ramsey said.  

Robert Tanner was a top 100 artist in the 1960s and 1970s from Lynchburg. He is a valuable part of local history that in some ways has been forgotten. This is the goal of RiverView Vinyl – to bring eyes and ears back to great music.

RiverView Vinyl not only works to promote rediscovery of forgotten music, but it also supports local artists and bands trying to be discovered. Such artists can reach out to the owner and come perform in front of alive audience.

“We open the doors for any of those bands to play and help build their following,” Ramsey said.  

It is an opportunity for people who share a common interest to come together, make friends and build relationships in the industry, he added. 

“Right now, we just want it to be an inviting space for any musician that’s creative and doing their own thing and want them to feel welcome to come here and do so,” he said.  

RiverView Vinyl nails the aspects of nostalgia that come with old music. It also works to usher in new music and help it find a spotlight. Variety, Ramsey said, is his goal. 

“It’s a little bit for everybody’s taste,” he said.

blevins is a feature writer.