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Who is the Guy in the Groove?

Dick Rosemont obtained his first record in 1956 at the tender age

of 6. It was Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog"/"Don't Be Cruel" - on a 78!

He began playing in a rock band even before the Beatles made their impact on the U.S. and continued doing so through the '60s. Dick picked up performing again from 1990 to 2011, leading his group Mystic Shake.

In the early '70s, Rosemont produced and hosted two radio programs on an NPR station in East Lansing, Michigan. During that time he had the honor of interviewing such luminaries of the era as Captain Beefheart, Bob Seger and Frank Zappa.

He began buying and selling records in the mid-'70s. From 1977 to 2011,

Dick co-owned and operated the renowned Michigan used & new record shop

Flat, Black & Circular.

Dick has been an ongoing expert radio show guest, periodically hosted a blues program and has written various articles for record collecting publications. His current activities include researching the earliest versions of popular and hit songs at www.OriginalsProject.us and writing a music blog for www.SantaFe.com.

What others say about the Guy

Dick knows music! His knowledge of music is extensive and broad. The genre has been his life for many years; he knows every aspect of it from the musicians to their recordings to the backgrounds, even about the many music productions which have come and gone over the years. He is a walking, talking music encyclopedia. From every conversation I learn more about a world in which I myself have lived and worked.

Baron Woman Rock Photographer/Author

I have known Dick Rosemont personally and professionally for over twenty years, and in all that time I have met few other people with his vast level of musical knowledge. Dick also has a deep-seated passion for music, something well beyond simply knowing who recorded what album and when. He's interested in all musical genres and understands what drives musicians to create their art. His love and knowledge of music is something he wants to share with people, not just impress people with.

Martin Bandyke WQKL-FM/Detroit Free Press

Iʼve known Dick Rosemont for over 35 years and know of no one else who has his grasp of popular music culture and history. Nor do I know anyone who approaches his dedication and passion for sharing his insights and knowledge. His credibility derives from his direct experience as a musician, disc jockey, writer, interviewer, collector, researcher, and student throughout his life. Dick loves to share what he knows, and does so in a compelling, humorous, and generous way. In addition, his dedication for delivering value and honesty to the customers of the music store that he helped build into a treasured institution is a testament to his personal integrity.

Tom Leavens, Partner, Leavens and Strand Chicago, IL 

When I was a freshman at Michigan State University, many years ago, I met Dick Rosemont at his fine record store, Flat Black & Circular. What impressed me about Dick at the time, and still impresses me today, is not just the depth of his knowledge on popular music (which is rather remarkable in itself) but his enthusiasm and

eloquence in sharing that knowledge with others. Dick is a tireless student of 20th Century popular music, and he has a deep understanding of the arts, the people who make it, and their importance as part of the larger culture; his knowledge is more than just a stockpile of factoids, but a comprehension of the continuing evolution of

a creative form that has touched the lives of many people.

Mark Deming Music Writer, Ann Arbor, MI

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