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A Legacy of Excellence in the Music Industry

1910s: Humble Beginnings

Our story begins in the early 1910s with Clara Peeples. Clara, daughter of Dr. Peeples, one of the earliest physicians in the Texas Panhandle, was a dedicated piano teacher in Dodson, Texas. Clara married Eddie Tarpley, and the couple moved to Wellington, Texas, where she continued to teach piano.

1917

This entrepreneurial spirit led them to Shamrock, Texas, where Clara made her first piano sale in 1917 and opened a music store inside of a hardware store with the help of a local banker. Dubbed 'Tarpley Music Shop'. Clara's passion for making music accessible to everyone drove her to success, and in 1927, she moved her business to Pampa, Texas.

1920s: Establishing Roots in Pampa

1927

Clara thrived in the retail environment and established Tarpley Music Company in Pampa, Texas, a rapidly growing town due to the Texas economic oil boom. Selling pianos, the "TV set" of the 1920s, from a downtown location, Clara quickly achieved great success with her business.

1930s: Adapting and Expanding

1931

In 1931, Clara's son Louis joined the company full-time. They adapted to changing times by selling radios and other household appliances. As accordions grew in popularity, they hired several accordion teachers and formed a large accordion band.

Despite the challenges of the Depression years, Clara and Louis's dedication to teaching and hard work earned them respect in the community and the music trade.

1940s: Wartime Service and Return

1941

After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and the United States' entry into World War II, Louis Tarpley, already a pilot, left the company and became a flight instructor in the United States Navy. He was stationed in Austin, Texas, with the United States Naval Flight Preparatory School at the University of Texas. Following the war, he returned to Pampa to resume his role in the music company alongside his mother.

1950s: A Growing Family Business

1953

Bill Tarpley, the son of Louis Tarpley, joined the Air Force during the Korean War and was stationed in Japan from 1951 to 1953. After completing his tour, he returned to Pampa and officially joined the family business in 1953. In 1954, they opened another store in Pampa named "Tarpley’s Melody Manor," which primarily sold stereo equipment, books, sheet music, records, tapes, and television sets.

1954

Clara was a highly respected business woman who survived her business through the Great Depression and was actively involved in all aspects of her business, which included making piano deliveries. Ironically, her untimely death was the result of a traffic accident following a piano delivery in 1954.

Glenn "Buz" Tarpley, Bill's brother, graduated from the University of Oklahoma and joined the Air Force, serving in England. After his tour of duty, he returned to Pampa. The two brothers, along with their father Louis, teamed up to operate the company. Eventually, Tarpley’s Melody Manor was merged into Tarpley Music Company.

1960s: Expansion and Innovation

1960

In 1960, a new location was added in Perryton, Texas.

1962

After Louis passed away in 1962, Bill and Glenn Tarpley assumed management of the company. Under their leadership, the company expanded its offerings to include stereo equipment, guitars, and church organs.

1966

In 1966, Bill and Glenn purchased the assets of Jenkins Music in Amarillo from General Electric Credit Corporation and opened Tarpley Music in that location. Given the substantial business opportunities in Amarillo compared to Perryton, the brothers decided to sell the Perryton store.

1968

In 1968, the Tolzien family, who had operated a successful music store in Amarillo since 1919, approached the brothers about purchasing their retail operation. Bill and Glenn agreed and took over the Tolzien Music name in Amarillo, merging the Tarpley Music store under the Tolzien Music name. Bill moved to Amarillo to manage that operation, while Buz stayed in Pampa to manage the store there and oversee the company's accounting. The Pampa store was relocated from its small 20x80 "shotgun" building to a larger three-story building measuring 75x80.

1970s: Continued Growth

1972

In 1972, Bill and Glenn built a brand new 12,500-square-foot building in Amarillo along Interstate 40, further solidifying their presence in the area.

1980s: The Fourth Generation Joins

1984

After graduating from West Texas State University, Bill's son David joined the company full-time in 1984, working at the Amarillo location.

1986

In 1986, Tarpley Music was approached by the Electric Ear Music Store, a combo-only store in Lubbock, Texas, with an offer to purchase their business. The Tarpleys decided it was a wise move, and David relocated to Lubbock to take over the management of that store.

1989

After graduating from Texas Tech University in 1989, Glenn's son John joined the company full-time. He relocated from Lubbock to Pampa to manage the store there and oversee the company's accounting.

1990s: Expansion into New Markets

1991

In 1991, an opportunity arose in Clovis, New Mexico, allowing the company to add its fourth retail location, a 5,000-square-foot space in downtown Clovis. Bob Smith, a highly respected Tarpley Music employee, relocated from the Pampa store to become the Manager of the Clovis location. This marked the first time someone outside the Tarpley family assumed the role of Store Manager.

1993

The company further diversified by expanding into sound system design and installation, forming a division called Tarpley Media, based in Lubbock, TX. This new division was spearheaded by David Tarpley & Casey McGrew. With a consultant/designer on staff and a dedicated installation team, this expansion was timely, as many churches were upgrading to new technologies.

1995

David and John managed the company's day-to-day operations for several years. With the addition of the fourth location, new challenges necessitated a centralized management team to effectively oversee the growing business. To accommodate this, the company built a 5,000-square-foot warehouse and office facility in Amarillo, where John and David relocated in 1995.

1998

David and John continued the business's gradual expansion by adding a fifth retail location in Wichita Falls, Texas, in 1998. They constructed a brand new 6,500-square-foot building in a burgeoning area to house the full-line store.

2000s: Strategic Growth and Consolidation

2006

When Brook Mays Music filed for bankruptcy in 2006, Tarpley Music was invited to participate in the auction process. During this time, David and John identified a suitable location in San Angelo, Texas, that matched the Tarpley Music business model. In October 2006, they opened a new Tarpley Music in the location vacated by Brook Mays.

2007

With the addition of the San Angelo store and the increasing challenges in the music industry, the Tarpleys took a hard look at their business and decided to eliminate two locations that were not productive to the overall business health. These locations included the Pampa, TX location which was sadly closed in March 2007, and the Wichita Falls, TX location which was closed in June 2007.

2010s: The Fifth Generation Joins and Continued Legacy

2013

In 2013, David’s son Brad joined the company full-time after graduating from West Texas A&M University, continuing the family legacy into the Fifth Generation of Ownership. Brad would oversee the company's branding and marketing.

2016

Opened store in Waco, Texas

2019

Wes Sutton is named General Manager of Tarpley Music, marking the first time someone outside the Tarpley family has taken on the role overseeing all day-to-day retail store operations.

After five years of serving Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex schools with a remote Education Specialist, Chaz Branch, the Tarpley Music Leadership Team identified an opportunity to plant a location in the DFW Metroplex. They decided to open a new music store in Burleson, TX. Construction of this location began in the winter of 2019, with plans to open to the public in March 2020.

2020s: The Modern Era

2020

With the opening of the Burleson location approaching quickly, Brad relocated to Fort Worth to assume management of that store. The store opened in March 2020, but unfortunatly this was two weeks before the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Despite restrictions, Tarpley Music's ties to Music Education in schools allowed us to stay open and offer curbside service to customers.

2022

A YouTube channel is launched, featuring James Gilliland as the host.

2023

After three years of serving Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex schools more effectively through the Burleson location, the Tarpley Music Leadership Team responded to repeated requests from schools and existing clients for a closer, full-service presence in the Dallas market. After the closure and liquidation of Lone Star Percussion, we saw a hole in the market and decided that it was time to move forward with a new location and chose Plano, TX as the destination. The Plano location was opened in April of 2023.

This Plano, TX location is unique, functioning as a hybrid between Music Education Services & Support and a full-service Woodwind & Brasswind Instrument Repair Shop. It is not set up as a traditional retail storefront.

2024

A second YouTube channel is launched that focuses on Music Education, Band & Orchestra Instruments, as well as Marching Band.

We are thrilled to announce that in November 2024, we will be relocating from our current Plano, TX location to an exciting new traditional retail storefront in Frisco, TX!

Today: A Century of Musical Excellence

Today, Tarpley Music continues to be a cornerstone of the music industry, offering a wide range of musical instruments, sound systems, and educational services. With a commitment to excellence and a rich history of service, Tarpley Music remains dedicated to fostering a love of music in the communities we serve.

In 2024, we are celebrating 97 years in business. That's 97 amazing years! As we approach our 100th anniversary we're looking back on the fact that we couldn't have reached this milestone without the support of our communities in Texas and New Mexico. Your unwavering support has enabled us to keep serving those who live, work, and love music.

We are beyond grateful for the opportunities that have allowed us to grow from a small-town Texas Panhandle shop into the largest and oldest single-family-owned independent musical instrument retail company in both Texas and New Mexico.