Marc Weinstein is a Berkeley institution — or if he isn’t he should be.
The founder of Amoeba Records, the world’s largest independent record retailer, which opened in a former Mexican restaurant on Telegraph Avenue in 1990, Weinstein has built a veritable empire based on the belief that independent artists have equal standing to major-label artists.
In a Los Angeles Times “How I Made It” profile [hat-tip: Jane Tierney], we learn that Weinstein likes to listen to Jaga Jazzist, Scorch Trio, Miles Davis and John Coltrane; he made more than $10,000 on the original store’s first day; and one of the reasons behind Amoeba’s success is the ability of its knowledgeable staff to scoop up rare and interesting records at estate sales across the country.
Read the full story over at the LA Times and follow the goings-on at Amoeba’s three California stores at Amoeba Blog.
