For many local—and international musicians, Bobby Lalonde Music on Main Street in Hawkesbury was their first source for supplies and service. That reliable local source is continuing, but under a different name and owner.
Effective June 6, Bobby Lalonde Music became part of Long and McQuade, Canada’s largest chain of music stores, headquartered in Toronto.
Born in Hawkesbury and raised around St-Isidore, Lalonde already had an established career in country and rock music before entering the retail music business. In 1973, when he was just 14, he played the fiddle at a show by Stompin’ Tom Connors at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto that was made into the concert film, Across This Land. He later joined the rock band Garolou and in the 1980’s formed The Bobby Lalonde Band. In 2001, he decided to enter the retail music business and opened Bobby Lalonde Music in Vankleek Hill at the corner of Main and High streets in what is now The Creating Centre. The shop stayed in Vankleek Hill for 11 years before relocating in 2012 to its current location at 1002 Main Street East in Hawkesbury.
“We were approached by Long and McQuade’s owners about five years ago,” Lalonde said. However, at that time, he was not prepared to sell.
Lalonde, his wife Joy, son Adam, and Simon Joly and Marc-André Labelle have all been employees at Bobby Lalonde Music. However, due to Adam, Joly, and Labelle already having busy music careers, there was no clear successor to take over.
“It was an obvious choice for us for a lot of reasons to go with Long and McQuade,” Lalonde said.
One of those reasons is that Long and McQuade is also a family business, founded in 1956 by Jack Long, who was later joined by business partner Jack McQuade. The Long family still owns the company today, with 90 stores across Canada.
“We just liked a whole lot of things about them,” Lalonde said.
Long and McQuade has offered all of Bobby Lalonde Music’s employee’s jobs at their new store. Lalonde, Adam, Joly, and Labelle are staying on part-time. Joy has decided to retire.
“And I wanted to semi-retire,” Lalonde said.
“It was definitely a bittersweet decision,” he added.
Over the years, Bobby Lalonde Music has provided products for the full range of musicians from children taking lessons to professionals in the American music industry.
“It was a really interesting business to be in,” Lalonde said.
He is looking forward to having more time for playing, writing, and composing music. Lalonde has also taken up painting recently and is looking forward to spending more time with that artistic pursuit.
Lalonde said he thoroughly enjoyed the years of owning and operating the music store in Vankleek Hill and Hawkesbury.
