Moondance record store founder Mike Taveroff dies
Mike Taveroff, the founder and operator of the downtown record store Moondance for 46 years before he retired and closed the store in 2018, has died.
Mr. Taveroff was 70 and died on Sunday.
Mr. Taveroff died of cancer after he was diagnosed in March, the Kawartha Now online site reported.
He is survived by his daughters Jesse and Leigh. He was predeceased by his wife Cheryl, who died of cancer in 2017.
Mr. Taveroff was a Montreal native who’d been living in Vancouver when he decided to move to Peterborough in the early 1970s.
He started selling records in 1972 in his wife Cheryl’s clothing store — called Moondance, after the Van Morrison song.
The Taveroffs worked together in the early years before Cheryl stayed home to raise their two daughters.
Mr. Taveroff continued to run the store for 46 years, and was known for his eclectic taste, his ability to source rare recordings.
He also knew his customers so well he knew exactly what new recordings they would enjoy. If they didn’t like a recommended record, he told The Examiner in an interview in 2018, they were welcome to return it.
“I didn’t get too many back, which was kind of nice,” he said, explaining how in the early days, customers hung out at the store to listen to what was playing. Moondance was known for its variety of vinyl records, CDs, DVDs and a wide selection of collectibles and music-related merchandise, including posters, clothing and industry magazines.
Mr. Taveroff held a massive sale from Feb. 1, 2018 until April 27, 2018 — and then closed the store for good.
Soon another music store, Zap Records, opened in the same location on George Street.
At the time Moondance closed Mr. Taveroff told The Examiner he was looking forward to retirement after decades of working 10 to 14 hours daily.
He also said in an interview at the time that the death of his wife in 2017 “took the wind out of my sails” and he wanted to rest and enjoy his waterfront property in East City.
A memorial was held Wednesday morning at the ComstockKaye Life Celebration Centre.
Memorial donations can be made to Hospice Peterborough or to the Peterborough Musicians Benevolent Association.
— with files from Jason Bain, Examiner