02/03/2026
A Message from Music Millennium Owner Terry Currier
First, thank you all for supporting Music Millennium over the years. You are why we are still here after 57 years along with all the great people that have worked at Music Millennium over the years. Plus, it would have never happened without Don and Laureen MacLeod along with Danny and Patti Lissey opening the doors on March 15th, 1969. We are looking forward to celebrating the official anniversary this March.
Music Millennium has been a big part of my life. I did not grow up listening to the radio or records. I played music and was looking to go to college on music scholarships. In 1972 my family moved from Seattle to Ridgefield, WA. I was 16 and 7 months old. I decided that the motorcycle I had been riding since I turn 16 needed to go to pasture and I needed to get a car. The weather elements of the Northwest pushed me that direction. A 66 Mustang became mine. It had a radio and I listened to KVAN, which went on the air when the sun came up and off the air when the sun went down. They always ended the day with the Beatles "The End" followed by an hour of a Catholic Mass, which was part of the deal with the FCC. Plus, I would listen to KISN radio, which played the hit music. KVAN played what was known as underground music…Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Spirit and anything any of the on-air DJs wanted. This opened my musical senses.
This motivated to see my first concert, Leon Russell & the Shelter People, the week after I turned 17. That show was a religious experience to me and 2 weeks later I was applying for a job at a record store called DJ’s Sound City, that was going to be opening at the Jantzen Beach Mall. They hired me knowing I had little knowledge about recorded music. The record store became my university, and I never went to college. The month after I started, a friend took me to Music Millennium. Millennium had all these import records we did not have. I found myself going to Music Millennium 2 or 3 nights a week after I got off work. I got out of school at noon and was able to work 40 hours a week my senior year and all the money went to music.
After 12 years at DJ’s, over 11 ½ in management in stores in Seattle, Everett, Honolulu and Portland, I received a call in 1984 that Don and Laureen MacLeod were taking the company back over. They had sold in 1979, and the middle ownership was preparing to file bankruptcy. I applied for the job of general manager. With a ½ million-dollar debt over their heads and none of the suppliers selling them any product for almost a year, things were in bad shape. We took care of the debt over 3 years and moved forward.
It’s now 42 years later and recently I turned 70. I’m as excited about Music Millennium today as I was the day I stepped into the store. However, it’s time to find a successor to keep Music Millennium going for many years to come. I’ve turned down every offer from developers that have called over the years wanting to buy the building. I want that building to a part of Portland’s landscape forever. Plus, I want Music Millennium to be in it for just as many years.
I’m letting you know as you are all passionate music fans. Perhaps you have an interest in taking Music Millennium into the future or know of someone that may be interested. Rest assured, I’m good with working with the future owner during a transitional period, educating them on just how we make Music Millennium tick. I am willing to sell the building along with the business or sell the business separately and execute a long-term lease with the new owner to ensure stability. If you have an interest or know someone that does, you can email me at [email protected]
Best regards,
Terry
