Champion of Newcastle music scene and Musos Corner stalwart Andrew Lindsay dies at 51

Andrew Lindsay, the son of Musos Corner owner Sandra Lindsay, and a stalwart of the national and international musical instrument retail scene, died Saturday, December 3, after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in August. He was 51 years old.

Mr Lindsay has been remembered as a gifted musician and inspiring business leader, and a "piece of the heart" of Musos Corner in Newcastle.

In an obituary penned by Elemore Vale audio engineer Allon Silove, Mr Lindsay has been remembered as a driving force in a renaissance for his family's business, helping guide the Newcastle musical institution back from devastating fire in 2005, and again after flooding in 2007, as well as championing the store's now widely recognised 'May the 4th' sale.

"Andy had a strong and passionate belief that music retail was an opportunity to help people realise their dreams," Mr Silove said. "With this definitive vision, he oversaw the growth and evolution of Musos Corner from a literal local corner store to one of the largest music instrument retailers in Australia, and an internationally respected and recognised brand."

Mr Lindsay spent his childhood surrounded by musicians, and emerged in the 1980s and 90s as a talented bass player on the local music scene before graduating university with degrees in both economics and business.

He lived in London and Sydney for several years before returning to Newcastle to help rejuvenate the family store in the wake of flooding in 2007, and married his partner, Linda, in 2008.

"His dedication to helping all musicians - of every stage and age - meant he endlessly supported the tens of thousands of customers that came through the store for decades," Mr Silove said, "He had a rare ability to focus on people in a sincere and very profound way, giving each one of his thousands of customers his honest and experienced opinion of what he knew would be best for them.

"No slick sales-tricks or tired routines; just the truth and his passion."

Throughout his career, Mr Lindsay became a champion of music education and progress, through countless sponsorships and support for programs as broad reaching as school band competitions to ukulele festivals, and partnerships with institutions such as TAFE NSW and the University of Newcastle.

"Andy believed that the best hope for the future of music was to ensure that the next generation of Australian musicians, composers and producers had access to the very best the world had to offer, particularly with regard to recording and music production technology," Mr Silove wrote.

Mr Lindsay is survived by his wife, Linda, and two children, Miles and Jules; his mother, Sandra, and stepfather, Michael; as well as his two sisters, Georgina and Jaquelyn.

"Andy was a big advocate for chasing your dreams," Mr Silove concluded, "He believed the pursuit was as much fun as the achievement.

"As Andy would say, 'What are you waiting for!?'"