Roger Greene 1952-2006
by Marc Sheforgen
Roger Greene listened mostly at 33 1/3 RPM, but he lived at 78. The 35-year veteran of the Hi-Fi business died Wednesday, March 1 at his home in Duluth, Minnesota. He had battled Leukemia since September 2004. Roger would have been 54 March 13.
Roger worked at Acoustic Sounds 
from
June 2003 until he got sick and returned to his native Duluth, where
his wife, Judy, continues to live. Remarkably, in just 15 months in
Salina, Kansas, Roger left an indelible impression on our company.
Memories of him inevitably circle back to something silly, humorous or
downright ridiculous. Roger actually defined the phrase "kid at heart"
through his everyday living. He was carefree, and he was always up for a
party. Always.
He's the guy that'd work a full day Friday, drive his Harley more than
1,500 miles to Duluth and back, in time for work Monday morning. Roger's
the guy who'd stay out all night at the casinos in Vegas and then show
up at the Acoustic Sounds CES booth never having made it back to his
hotel room. He'd take off for the annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis on a
moment's notice. Roger was the guy who'd hit the bar with a pal and buy
shot after shot for whoever happened to be around. His home was always
open, and he'd spin records for whoever wanted to listen and for however
long they could. The guy had fun. He was also the guy that'd say "yes"
to whatever a friend might ask of him, even before hearing 
the favor request.
Roger was a hell of a guy. It's really that simple for those who knew him.
He also was a true professional and an enormous asset to the Hi-Fi industry. He began working for a TV/stereo shop while going to college in Duluth. In 1972, he attended a tech school in Minneapolis and earned a degree in electronics. He returned to Duluth after school and found work in a stereo store. He didn't care for their way of doing business, so he decided to do it himself. He negotiated a deal with a Minneapolis chain called Sound of Music and opened a franchise in Duluth. He cut ties with Sound of Music after seven years, becoming an independent store. Soon after, Sound of Music became Best Buy. Roger loved to joke about the timing of his decision. "The guy that owns Best Buy is like the third richest in the country," he'd say. "I think I'm the third poorest."
He closed his store after several years and spent a few years in various
jobs outside of audio. Finally, he got a job at an appliance store
selling TVs at the very beginning of the video revolution when VCRs and
video cameras were red hot. Roger partnered with Bill "Bink" Schurter
and opened Twin Ports Video Center, specializing in audio and video. 
That
lasted for seven years and produced what surely are some of the most
insane TV commercials Duluth, Minnesota has ever seen. In one spot, the
pair spoofed "All-Star Wrestling" and acted as a tag team. The ad was
shot in Duluth before a wrestling event and featured professional
wrestler The Blaster and ex-Minnesota Viking Doug Sutherland. Roger told
hilarious stories about the filming of the commercial. At one point,
The Blaster got carried away and actually tossed Roger through the ropes
of the ring. Roger crashed to the ground and suffered a pulled groin.
Roger worked for six years at Salon One Audio in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin until that store closed in 2000. From there, he went to Minneapolis and worked a couple of shops and for a mail-order company called The Needle Doctor. After that, he came to Acoustic Sounds.
After Roger had become sick and left Salina to return home for
treatment, customers would regularly call to inquire about him. The
quality that seems to have struck them most 
was
that Roger was a pure music lover. He wasn't a salesman. Instead, Roger
sold high-end audio. That's a very important distinction. Roger loved
to talk music and gear, and he genuinely wanted his customers to achieve
the very best sound. It wasn't about pushing boxes to Roger.
"He's a great guy," we'd hear over and over from customers.
We know.