so sad

over the years, i have bought hundred of albums from jerry

he once told me he had an acetate of an alternate recording of rocket 88 (considered the start of rock and roll)

another time, james cotton's wife was in the shop looking for sun 45's of his recordings, they are very expensive

http://www.wmcactionnews5.com/story/3401...cord-store

He had a fantastic jazz and soul section. I don't know of another record store in the US that stayed open as long just selling records (bootlegs and comics notwithstanding).

I spoke with him many times. He was eccentric and interesting - one of those guys who helped make Memphis Memphis.

He will be missed.

here is some more info on rocket 88

i think this record is on display at sun studios

"The 16-inch Rocket 88 acetate is being sold by Memphis-based consignor Jerry Gibson, 64, owner of River Records. He said it came from a large collection of Sun 45s, 78s and acetates he bought in the mid-'90s. The acetate from the March 5 Rocket 88 session also contains an unreleased alternative version (a 40-second snippet) plus two additional tunes: the single's B-side, Come Back Where You Belong, and I'm Lonesome Baby. The latter was paired with the final song from that session, Heartbroken and Worried, and released as Chess single 1459 under Turner's name."
It's a one-of-a-kind, to me, piece," says Gibson. "Especially with the alternative take." Gibson didn't know how many Rocket 88 acetates exist, though Sam Phillips remembers pressing no more than a half-dozen from the source recording (which this acetate could very well be).
"I know I made a couple for Dewey (Phillips) because they wouldn't last long with him the way he played his records," says Phillips. "I'm sure I made one or two for myself, and it could have been that I made one for Ike and Jackie."
Bidding began April 24 and lasts through Thursday. The current high bid is $4,235, but look for that figure to climb in the final hours. Gibson says he's hoping to get $20,000. "Who knows where it'll end up at?" he says. Where it physically should (and probably won't) end up - the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum - is another matter."