Music man famed for innovative ideas

From the Salisbury Journal, first published Sunday 14th May 2006.

Obituary: John Sutton

Mr Sutton, who was also a past president of both Salisbury & District Chamber of Commerce and Salisbury Lions Club, was a successful and popular businessman for more than 45 years, during which time he ran a string of music shops and was famed across the South of England for his range of stock and innovative ideas.

He will be best known for his Sutton's Music Centre in Blue Boar Row and later in Endless Street, which he ran from 1963 until he retired in 1995.

He started business in Crane Street after being de-mobbed in 1949, renting a shop from his father at £5 a week, and at first sold irons, kettles, torches and accumulators for radios on the ground floor and records (78s) on the first floor. Eventually he concentrated on selling records including, in June 1950, LPs, which other shops thought had no future. He also opened an LP record library.

Later he moved to Queen Street, where he opened the first self-service record shop in the country. He also invented the "listening panel," where there was a wall with push buttons and earphones allowing customers to listen to records before deciding whether to buy them. The shop later went on to become the first in the south and south-west of England to sell hi fi equipment, attracting customers from as far away as Cornwall.

The Queen Street store also sold musical instruments, including pianos and organs, and sheet music. A year before moving to Blue Boar Row, Mr Sutton opened a shop in Southampton and later had shops in Dorchester, Winchester and Bournemouth. For many years he supplied the Journal with its records top ten column and for some time also provided the records played on Radio Odstock.

A member of an old Salisbury business family, Mr Sutton was born at Stoford in October 1925 and attended the city's then Modern School in Kelsey Road.

As a member of the council of Salisbury & District Chamber of Commerce, which he served for 23 years, he helped to organise the successful trades exhibition held as part of the chamber's golden jubilee in 1962 and went on to become its president in 1970. He was also an instigator of the city's tourist information office during that period and of the city's Christmas tree lights.

He was a founder member of the Salisbury Lions Club and served as club president in 1967. A keen photographer, he studied cameras and photography at Salisbury College and was a former chairman of Salisbury Camera Club.

Mr Sutton was appointed a JP in 1973 and served as a court chairman with Salisbury magistrates before retiring from the bench when he was 70.

Throughout his business and public life he was supported by his wife of 45 years, Dorothy, who died in 1995.

He is survived by his second wife, Audrey, two daughters Lesley and Alex, son Ian and nine grandchildren.

His funeral will take place at St Margaret's Church, Chilmark, at 2pm on Tuesday.