‘One Big, Dysfunctional Family’ - Earl Kliethermes for many years ran Cornerstone Music in Jefferson City

Cornerstone Music occupied several locations during its 13-year run, but many customers remember its downtown Jefferson City location on Jefferson Street during the 1980s. Founded by Earl Kliethermes in 1984, the store became a gathering place for music lovers and helped introduce a generation of area youth to new artists, albums and musical genres. Courtesy of Earl Kliethermes.

“Music does bring people together," said the late John Denver. "It allows us to experience the same emotions. People everywhere are the same in heart and spirit. No matter what language we speak, what color we are, music proves: We are the same.” 

For nearly two decades, Cornerstone Music served as far more than a record store in Jefferson City. It was a gathering place, a cultural crossroads and, for many area teenagers and young adults, a second home. Through the vision and persistence of owner Earl Kliethermes, the business became a destination where music lovers discovered new artists, shared ideas and formed lasting friendships.

Cornerstone Music was for years a Jefferson City area business providing a generation of youth with access to vintage music titles and newer releases on a variety of formats ranging from vinyl records to compact discs. Like many independent record stores of the era, Cornerstone Music offered something that could not be found through mail-order catalogs or large retailers. It provided a place where people could gather, spend time with others who shared similar interests and learn about music they might never have otherwise encountered.

Born in Osage County, Kliethermes grew up in and around the Ford dealership in Linn that was owned by his father. He attended St. George Catholic School in Linn before his family moved to Jefferson City when Kliethermes was only 11.

“As a kid, I had asthma and severe allergies, so I spent a lot of time indoors during times when allergens were high,” he recalled. “I had a couple of aunts that gave me a variety of old 78 records to listen to that included a variety of types of music like orchestral, jazz and R&B.” He added, “That’s how I learned to read … by looking at the labels on the records. I began riding my bike around Jefferson City and buying records at the Salvation Army and rummage sales, really building my collection and gaining an eclectic interest in music.”

During his freshman year at Helias Catholic High School, Kliethermes joined the band, learning to play the clarinet since it was an instrument his parents already owned. He would go on to play as part of the school’s marching and performing bands.

“Lincoln University brought their jazz band to Helias and played in the gym,” Kliethermes recalled. “They played some Santana and Earth, Wind & Fire and then explained that they were short a few members, so a friend and I auditioned and were selected for their band while only juniors in high school.”

Throughout his high school years, he continued expanding his musical abilities by learning the saxophone, bass clarinet and guitar. After graduating from Helias in 1978, he enrolled at Lincoln University in pursuit of a music degree. While in college, a teacher encouraged him to join the Jefferson City Symphony, with whom he performed for the next four decades.

“I graduated from Lincoln in 1983 with my bachelor’s in music education and a business minor,” Kliethermes said. “Back when I was still in college, I had begun working at the Melody Shop and gave guitar lessons there.” Kliethermes recalled, “I had continued picking up cheap records throughout the years and the owner of the Melody Shop, Russell Krieg, asked if I could fill a peach crate with some records to sell in the store. They sold like crazy and soon it went to three crates and then onto 12 crates—I had quite a following!”

Upon learning that the owners were selling the Melody Shop, Kliethermes did not want to abandon the album-selling business he had worked hard to establish. In 1984, he and a partner opened a record store in the Monaco Building on High Street.

Cris Sappington, a local disc jockey and member of the popular band People’s Choice, came up with the name Cornerstone Music. Kliethermes and his business partner used an old desk for their front counter and began ordering band posters that they not only sold but displayed on the walls to attract new customers.

“After about a year, we were told we would have to move out and my partner said that he was done with the business,” Kliethermes explained. “That happened about the end of 1985, and I then found a spot to rent in the basement of the old Schell and Ward Building on Jefferson Street, facing the east side of the Capitol building.”

This became the heyday of Cornerstone Music, remaining a popular and vibrant part of downtown for the next four years. There was no room to expand and little room for customers, but the store was often crowded regardless of the season.

“We covered the walls with posters, and it was a cozy little place with low ceilings,” he said. “At times, you had state senators alongside old hippies and school kids in the store shopping for music.”

Like many independent record stores during the 1980s and early 1990s, Cornerstone Music became a gathering place for young people. Customers often lingered for hours discussing favorite albums, discovering unfamiliar artists and meeting others who shared their musical interests. Long before streaming services and social media, stores like Cornerstone Music were often where young people first encountered new genres, built friendships and expanded their understanding of music and culture.

For many customers, a visit to Cornerstone Music was as much about the experience as it was about buying a record. The store helped create a sense of community among people from different backgrounds who found common ground through music.

“I also had a ‘Cornerstone Classic’ segment on KJMO radio station, and they played three songs chosen by me and talked about the store between songs,” Kliethermes added.

On other occasions, John Drake Robinson wore the mask of an older man along with a sandwich board to advertise the store. He walked the downtown sidewalks and played a small Casio keyboard to attract customers for Cornerstone Music.

Quite unexpectedly one day in 1989, Kliethermes was advised the building had been sold and that he had two weeks to vacate. Cornerstone Music moved to a location on Missouri Boulevard next to the former Budweiser Inn, where it remained until sustaining flood damage in 1993. The business was then moved to a location in Jefferson Plaza on Missouri Boulevard, remaining there for about a year. Then it moved to an area next to TG’s Lounge on the boulevard.

“It was three moves in about six years,” he said. “Finally, I decided to close Cornerstone Music in 1997 because leaving downtown had really killed my business.”

Today, Kliethermes continues sharing his passion for music through Record Safari, a vinyl record business located inside Capital Music in Jefferson City. Much like his earliest days at the Melody Shop and Cornerstone Music, what began as a modest selection has grown into a destination for collectors and music enthusiasts searching for everything from classic rock and jazz to country and rare releases.

“There were some difficult times with Cornerstone Music but many great memories as well,” Kliethermes explained. “And it was always such a joy introducing people to new types of music along with the support of all the ‘Cornerstone Kids.’” Smiling, he added, “We were all one big, dysfunctional family.”

More than a record store owner, Kliethermes helped create a community united by a shared love of music. Decades after Cornerstone Music first opened its doors, many former customers still remember it not simply as a place to buy records, but as a place where friendships were formed, horizons were broadened and music brought people together.
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Jeremy P. Amick is the author of the historical compilation “Moments on the Moreau.”

During the 1980s, John Drake Robinson donned a mask, carried a sandwich board and played a small Casio keyboard while walking the streets of downtown Jefferson City to promote Cornerstone Music. The unconventional advertising campaign became one of many memorable features associated with the popular record store. Courtesy of Earl Kliethermes.