After His Rock Music in Cumming erupted in flames earlier this month, destroying thousands of dollars worth of vinyl records and music equipment, the community has been quick to step up to help store owner Bob Johnson.
First, a member of Johnson's church launched a GoFundMe to help him recover some of his losses, then area musicians started planning a benefit concert, which will take place on Feb. 8.
Now, a neighboring music store has taken Johnson in while he works to rebuild his business.
Johnson first opened his store more than a decade ago. Originally located in Dawsonville, it relocated to Cumming five years ago. The store was in the process of moving again, this time to downtown Cumming, when the fire broke out.
With the help of his community, Johnson’s business is getting back on its feet. Recently, His Rock Music opened a pop-up space at Ponce De Leon Music at 1060 Dahlonega Highway in Cumming.
The center offered the space to Johnson rent free, 11Alive reports.
"When we heard about the fire...it hurt our heart. It hurt our soul...we just wanted to do something to get him back on his feet,” the music center’s owner, Kathy Hines, told the TV station.
Johnson’s current inventory features the hundreds of records that have been donated in the last couple weeks.
"I've had about 500 records donated so far, and I continue to be overwhelmed by the generosity in our community," Johnson told 11Alive.
Johnson’s new store was slated to open in a space at 318 Dahlonega Highway before the fire happened. It destroyed nearly 4,000 records, CDs, and musical equipment. Johnson said he estimates about $30,000 worth of merchandise was lost.
According to Channel 2 Action News, the fire began in a storage closet of an adjoining store.
