CATONSVILLE, Md. — Since 1965, a family music business has been hitting all the right notes. Bill's Music House is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, continuing a legacy that began with a passion for music.
"My father had a lot of odd jobs as a kid, and didn't take to any of them, really. But what he loved was guitar, playing in his little band," said Brian Higgins, general manager of Bill's Music House and son of founder Bill Higgins.
That passion led Bill and his wife Nancy to open a small shop in Catonsville with about half a dozen guitars. Today, the store has expanded significantly while remaining on the same Frederick Road, now housing an impressive collection of 2,000 guitars.
The store has become an emporium of instruments — quite literally a wall of sound. As general manager, Brian now oversees the business his father started, maintaining the family atmosphere that has made Bill's Music House special for generations of customers.
At its core, Bill's remains a family business, with Bill's wife, siblings, and in-laws still involved in operations.
"We love music, we believe in music. We believe that's what brings us all together and connects us as people. So to think we had a part in that in somebody's life is important to us," said Jamie Reese, Bill's daughter.
Bill's is selling t-shirts to commemorate the 60th - for $19.65 - and every week on social media, the business is highlighting somebody important to the store.
60th anniversary of Bill's Music House
"To get to work here my whole life with my family has meant everything. There's nothing I can imagine doing that would mean more to me than doing this," Reese said.
Bill's Music House lost its namesake founder one year before he could celebrate the 60-year milestone. His passion for music lives on through the folks who find their love for music at his store.
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"You hear a lot of those stories, and they're fun to listen to. We have 4th generation customers now that come in. People come in and say they bought their first guitar back in 1968. They might even bring me a receipt from a guitar they bought in 1971, 'I got my first guitar and I'm still here,'" Brian Higgins said.
The store's connection to Catonsville is deeply rooted, with "Music City Maryland" being a point of pride for many. Bill's Music House plans to formally celebrate six decades of business — and all the chords they've struck over the years — at the end of this year.
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This report was converted from its original broadcast television script to a web article with the assistance of an AI tool. A WMAR-2 News journalist thoroughly reviewed its contents before posting it to our website.
