Sam Milgrom


Steven Allen Milgrom,, commonly known as Sam Milgrom, is an American gallerist, curator, concert promoter and record store entrepreneur who founded Sam's Jams record stores in Detroit, Michigan, the Magic Bag live music venue in Ferndale, Michigan, and Musichead Gallery in Los Angeles, the first art gallery to specialize in art related to music from the rock and roll era and beyond.

1978–mid-1990s: Sam's Jams Record Stores

Sam Milgrom has family roots in retail, as his father was a women's sportswear manufacturer.
He started playing guitar at age six, and played in rock bands from 1968 to 1972 as a lead singer and rhythm guitarist. He studied humanities at Wayne State University. After working for several Detroit area music retailers, including the record store chain Harmony House in Royal Oak, Michigan, he opened the first Sam's Jams record store in a 400-square-foot former insurance office on Woodward Ave in Ferndale, Michigan. The following year he moved to a larger, 1600-square-foot space a few blocks away, and in 1985 to a 10,000-square-foot former grocery store a half block away. He also opened a second store in Livonia. By October 1982 his businesses were making over half a million dollars a year in sales.
In 1985, having moved the Ferndale store to that much larger space, he began hosting free "Live at Sam's" jazz, rock and blues shows and autograph sessions. In January 1986, Detroit Monthly named Sam's Jams "Best Record and Tape Store."

1991–1996: Magic Bag Theatre Cafe

With years of concert promotion under his belt, in 1991 he founded the 300-seat Magic Bag Theatre Cafe, raising the funds partly from selling his house and putting up his two Sam's Jams record stores as collateral. Frank Morgan and Cedar Walton were the featured performers on the opening weekend in May 1991. The venue was known especially for presenting jazz; it also hosted other music genres as well as a "Brew & View" film series. The venue booked national touring acts including El DeBarge, Sheila E., Lee Rocker, Meshell Ndegeocello, Leo Kottke, Patti Smith, Joey DeFrancesco, Junior Wells, The Blasters, Jeff Buckley, and Kid Rock and Jack White.
Meanwhile, Sam's Jams remained in business until the mid-1990s.

Curator

Milgrom has curated photography and fine art exhibitions since 2005, working with music photographers as well as musicians who double as visual artists. These exhibitions include:

Art exhibitions