JUKEBOX HEROES

from Living Here 2019

RIVER & TWINE

By Spencer Carney

Walking through the door, it feels like the universe has gone back in time: pinball machines line one wall, vintage, refurbished jukeboxes line another and hanging up above are dozens of neon signs advertising Wurlitzer Jukeboxes and Margaritaville.

Thorpe Music Co. isn’t just about music, although refurbishing and sometimes rebuilding classic jukeboxes is a large part of what they do. Opened in 1936, the shop has now passed hands onto the third generation.

“My son technically owns it now,” said Jimmy Thorpe, the previous owner. “I just like to come back and work for the fun of it.”

While the primary purpose of the company is to service machines, from vending machines to slot machines to game machines, their biggest industry is servicing ATMs, with revitalizing jukeboxes as a close second.

“The ATMs are convenient to service because in a lot of places we also go to their locations to service the games, and we can just check the ATMs at the same time,” Thorpe said. “I love working on the jukeboxes though and have some in my office that I just couldn’t let go of.”

There are a variety of jukeboxes available in the music shop, located in the same building as the Mini Putt in Rocky Mount. Thorpe Music Co. rebuilds the machines from the inside out, fixing the wiring, replacing parts and then cleaning up the outside with fresh chrome and new veneer. The older boxes have entire panels of wood. Most are beautifully decorated, with neon lights, bright colors and some with mosaics.

The jukeboxes play different sized records depending on the years they were produced: in the 30s and 40s, they played 78s, which are the big classic vinyls. From 1952-1986, jukeboxes were made to play smaller records, called 45s. In 1986, the cd jukebox came out and stayed popular until about 2008, at which time entirely electronic jukeboxes were made to download songs and can be accessed through apps on customers’ phones.

“The demand for the electronic ones has really picked up,” said Glenn Cockrell, a service

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representative with Thorpe Music Co. “We still do a lot of restoration on the old jukeboxes and want to keep doing that for as long as we can. We really are aware of how the business has really changed and how much we have to adapt.”

Cockrell said that many of their electronic jukeboxes go to places such as restaurants, banks and game centers, while private collectors and other individuals enjoy the vintage boxes for their homes and collections. He added that with vinyl records making a comeback, they’ve seen slightly more interest from younger buyers and hope to see the trend continue.

“For the most part, a lot of the people that we see come in for the classic pinball machines and jukeboxes are older people. A lot of the younger ones didn’t grow up playing on these machines and prefer the ticket games — they just don’t have that same appreciation for the classic games,” Thorpe said. “I think one day they will appreciate them though, how beautiful and unique these machines are, and they’ll understand why so many older people like me still love them.”

I think one day they will appreciate them though, how beautiful and unique these machines are, and they’ll understand why so many older people like me still love them.