STARK COUNTY, Ohio — According to Billboard, 43% of all albums sold in the U.S. in 2022 were vinyl, and nearly half of all vinyl albums were purchased at independent record stores like Sam Heaton’s Massillon store Erie Street Vinyl.
“I opened up in October ’21, and my husband and I purchased the building in March of ’21,” Heaton said. “We’ve been spinning music and keeping the lights on.”
Although Heaton’s business is fairly new, her love for vinyl goes way back.
“We are that family, we are like the first ones on the dance floor and the last ones to leave,” she said. “My sister is a choreographer. My parents love music. My brothers are musical.”
Born and raised in Stark County, Heaton said she’s happy to bring a bit of music to the heart of Massillon.
“I strive to throw a really big net out there,” she said. “I want everyone to feel welcome, and I want everyone to find something to get them happy about and find some nostalgia in.”
Her work extends beyonds records. Heaton wears a lot of hats.
She is a mother of three girls, a hairstylist, is on the board for the Doylestown Food Cupboard. She also volunteers to help women who are victims of domestic violence through the Soroptimist organization.
“It [volunteering] pulls you out of the monotony of your day a little bit,” she said. “It feels really good and you know you are really helping people.”
She said as a woman who owns her own business, it’s important to help other women succeed.
“Within the vinyl community, the first door that opened up to me was the Women in Vinyl Community, which is a fabulous non-profit,” she said. “[The non-profit] is just to educate and broaden what’s within this industry because this is a very male-driven industry.”
