Tarpley Music

Wes Sutton has a background as a musician and a welder and wasn’t too sure about an opening at King Music Company in Brownwood, Texas, but he was looking for a change so he took a chance. He was the only employee in the store so he quickly learned every element of running a music store. He learned instrument repair and how to work with the local band directors to service the needs of the school music programs. In 2007 he was hired by Tarpley Music and rose to store manager, regional manager, and then general manager overseeing all six locations as well as running his own store in

David Tarpley remembered crawling around in the ceiling of his current church as a child, hauling the wires for the Allen Organ his father and uncle were installing. As a member of the Tarpley family, you worked in the family business, which for David meant sweeping the music store, moving pianos and installing organs in area churches. David says this training was very valuable in the understanding of all aspects of the business, which he and his cousin John currently run in west Texas. His great-grandmother began selling pianos as early as 1917.

Bill Tarpley remembered the stories his father used to tell him about the early days of the family music retail store in west Texas. Times were hard during the era of the dust bowls and depression, but he credits his father’s skills as both a businessman and salesman in the success of the store. After serving in the Korean War, Bill returned to Texas and worked in the store full time. He and his brother Buzz became co-owners and expanded the company to include several product lines with a continued focus on pianos and organs. In 1972 they moved from Pampa to Amarillo where Bill ov

Buzz Tarpley grew up in the music business. His grandmother was selling pianos as early as 1917 in West Texas. The Tarpley family officially opened a music store in 1927 in Pampa, Texas. Buzz recalled growing up in the late 1930s and 40s and the many radio sets his father would sell. He also remembers loading and unloading many a piano as a teenager, before entering the business after finishing school. Buzz and his older brother Bill were equal owners in the business which expanded to several locations including Lubbock and Amarillo. His son and nephew took over the business when

John Tarpley likes to echo the message his great-grandmother lived by when she established the family business over 100 years ago: the customer is most important. Since taking over the business, along with his cousin David in the 1990s, John has strived hard to do just that. Running four locations and expanding to Internet sales requires listening to his managers, employees, partner and customers--a skill John is good at. He has also been active in industry groups such as AIMM and the MIG group as well as serving on the Board of Directors for NAMM.