50 Years of Rock and Soul

Our story begins when Joseph and Shirley Bechor opened the doors to the original Rock & Soul location on 7th Avenue in NYC, with a goal of establishing roots and moving the rest of the family to the United States. In its infancy, Rock & Soul was a small electronics store. Little did they know it would one day turn into a DJ mecca. What began as a general electronics store, eventually expanded to offer a selection of vinyl records, followed by DJ gear that catered to the needs of their customers. And it kept growing from there.

Shirley began managing the record department in the back of the store, selling all the popular 45s and 12” singles to music lovers and artists -- both aspiring and established. She quickly developed a relationship with many locals, who continued to frequent the store over the years.

As DJ culture gained momentum, Rock & Soul grew with it. From the early greats like Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash to radio DJs Red Alert and Chuck Chillout, the store became a go-to for New York City DJs to pick up their vinyl.

Rock and Soul had developed a strong reputation in the music community, and would be frequented by artists such as Mc Hammer, GrandMaster Flash, Brenda K. Star, Kool Herc and DJ Larry Levan, who, during his Paradise Garage days, used to come straight from the clubs to Rock and Soul with his entourage. Shirley herself had become somewhat of a community “celebrity” who was requested in photos and videos with many DJs. She also took on the role of the neighborhood kids’ adopted mom who’d just as soon defend them as well as yell at them for opening merchandise!

Rock and Soul landed in a local newspaper when they wrote an article about Benji, our record buyer who could figure out what record customers were asking for from just a couple of bars of singing. The store wound up in the news again after a live camel was brought into Manhattan and to the store as a publicity stunt when the Arabian Night single was released.

Janet Jackson visited the store just after releasing her single, “What have you done for me lately,” one of the most popular songs from her influential Control album...

Our longtime manager, Romel, started working at the store. His dedication and expertise made him an invaluable member of the Rock & Soul team and we’re happy to say he is still here today! Freshly formed hip hop group, Wu Tang Clan, began selling their records through Rock & Soul, becoming one of the most influential and controversial hip hop groups in history. After their rise to fame, they came in for a record signing and there were so many people, the store needed to be closed to let them all in.

Rock and Soul had become the “it” place in NYC for a variety of musicians looking for current and hard-to-find records and the latest DJ gear. Visitors and clients included Harrison Ford (whose son was beginning to DJ); A Tribe Called Quest; Wyclef Jean; The Edge (U2); DJ AM and more. Many top name hip hop artists frequented the store regularly, some of whom Shirley didn’t hesitate to kick out of the store for opening an unpurchased product (you know who you are!).

The store’s clientele continued to diversify into other styles of music and entertainment, with visits ranging from Run DMC, Samantha Ronson, DJ AM, to Method Man, to Pauly D, and more.

Rock and Soul hosted a launch event for the Rane Serato partnership when the game-changing Serato was released. A pivotal moment in the modern day chapter of Rock & Soul as well as the art of DJing!

During an industry event honoring him, Mark Ronson publicly acknowledged the store’s influence on the DJ community by reminiscing how he purchased his first set of turntables at Rock and Soul 22 years earlier! The following year, a documentary about Mark Ronson was filmed in the store.

The Docuseries Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men mentions Rock and Soul as helping give them a start in the industry.

During the 2020 riots, Rock & Soul was broken into and burglarized. A true testament to Rock and Soul’s deep seeded roots in the music community, local DJs came together to raise money and support the store.

Stuck in the Groove, a documentary about the history of vinyl records, featured Rock and Soul and interviewed Sharone Bechor.

In 2023, Rock & Soul moved down the street into its present location on 37th street, offering customers a true community hub with a more dynamic and spacious place to gather, learn, shop and perform.

In January 2025, Rock and Soul received a special recognition by NAMM, the music products industry trade organization, for 50 years of service to musicians and the music community.