The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Tributes to Tayside music shop legend.
SOUNDTRACK: Owner of Groucho’s Record Store dies aged 65
Tributes have been paid to the man who gave Dundee its soundtrack for more than four decades.
Alastair “Breeks” Brodie, 65, owner of Groucho’s Record Store on the Nethergate, died on Tuesday after a short stay in Ninewells Hospital.
In a statement issued yesterday, his family said: “As the co-founder then sole proprietor of Groucho’s Record Store since 1976, he has been a mainstay of both the independent retailers of Dundee and more importantly the music scene in the city.
“There are generations of Dundonians, fans and musicians who have enjoyed a real music retail experience in one of Dundee’s best loved shops – all thanks to the genuine love of music with which Breeks filled the shop.”
Nephew Chae Strathie said his uncle was “a genuinely good, solid loyal friend” to many, and immensely proud of his place in Dundee lore.
“Everyone assumed he was from Dundee because he spoke like a Dundonian and acted like a Dundonian but he was born and brought up in Edinburgh,” he explained.
“He started with a record stall at Cockburn Street market in Edinburgh then came here to open the first Groucho’s on the Perth Road and fell in love with the place. He loved the city and he loved its people.”
Groucho’s remained a city institution, despite changes in the way fans consumed music, and had benefited from a resurgence in interest in vinyl in recent years.
Chae added: “Breeks was a diehard rock and blues fan. For him it was all about Jimi Hendrix and Captain Beefheart but he never lost his interest in new music. He loved that there were teenagers and kids in their early 20s coming in looking for the latest stuff.”
The future of the shop was thrown in doubt last year when the building was sold but a deal was struck with the new owner for a five-year extension on the lease. Breeks spoke at the time about retiring, but everyone knew he would never quit. “Breeks was Groucho’s and Groucho’s was Breeks,” said Chae.
“It really wasn’t a job, it was his life. And it was so many things to so many people. When you think of all the musicians who would have gathered in Groucho’s over the decades, it has been a hub for the Dundee music scene, from Michael Marra and the Average White Band right through to Kyle Falconer and The View.”
His other great love was Dundee United and he was a loyal member of fans group the Arab Trust.
Its associate director Stuart Campbell said it was a “sad, sad, day”.
Author and broadcaster Stuart Cosgrove said Breeks was “one of Tayside’s great influencers”.
“He had a passion for music that resonated in the community,” he added.
He is survived by wife Stella, daughter Jenny, stepchildren Joanna and Steven and his wider family.