Alfredo Flores Sr. was born in Mexico on August 10, 1908 and moved to San Antonio, Texas with his mother and grandmother when he was a small boy. Flores would eventually work at the Thomas Goggan piano company. His experience with the piano company provided Mr. Flores with the idea and contacts to open his own business.
Alamo Music Exchange was formed in 1929, just months before the stock market crash. The store was able to withstand the Great Depression due to Mr. Flores’ dedication to customer service. Over the years the store grew in size and reputation, leading to expansion and a new building in the 1960s. That decade also saw his son, Alfredo Flores Jr., and his daughter join the business.
During his 2009 NAMM Oral History interview, when Mr. Flores was 100 years old, he remarked on how proud he was to have been in the music business and how proud he was of his family for keeping the family business running.
To view a segment from his NAMM Oral History interview, click below:
