After more than 40 years, the iconic AB Stephens building in Huntsville will no longer serve as a music store, according to online reports.
Huntsville’s AB Stephens Building to Close
For decades, AB Stephens has been a landmark for music lovers in Huntsville. Janet Parks, the longtime manager of the sheet music department, has helped students, teachers, and musicians find the perfect songbooks since the early 1980s. She also oversaw moving the store to its uniquely shaped Drake Avenue building, which was designed for music instruction and instrument displays, complete with soundproof classrooms.
Recently, the owners of the building sold it to A1 Appliances, which plans to use it as a warehouse. The AB Stephens team will move out by May 22. Manager John Miller said the news came as a shock, since the business had only been renting the building for eight years.
A Community Legacy Ends
Parks described the closure as heartbreaking. “I’ve done this all the way through, purchasing the music, managing inventory, and meeting so many wonderful teachers and instrumentalists,” she said. “Right now, so many people are coming back after hearing the news. I’m grateful for all of them. I really am.”
She had planned to retire and pass the department to her daughter, but now she must close it entirely. The carefully curated sheet music inventory is now discounted by 50% to 75%. Parks said she has watched generations of musicians grow up in the store, from beginners to teachers who return to buy advanced methods for their own students or grandchildren.
Moving Forward and Memories
While the piano department will relocate to Billiards and Barstools Plus Patio, which shares the same owners, the sheet music section and music classes will close permanently. Miller hopes the piano store will continue to serve the community in a new form.
For Parks, the store has been more than a workplace; it has been a second home. She recalls memories of her late husband, Gary Parks, who played in the Air Force band and taught at AB Stephens. “I look up those stairs, and I can see him coming down, wishing everybody a Happy New Year,” she said. “He only lasted a little more than 24 hours after that.”
As AB Stephens prepares to close its doors, Parks reflects on her decades of work and the relationships she built. “I never realized how much people cared,” she said. “But I’m finding out. This place has been a home filled with memories, people, and purpose. Saying goodbye is not easy.”
Sign up for the Homely Huntsville newsletter to stay up to date on Huntsville.
