Richard Wozniak, who owned the well-known Young at Heart Records in downtown Duluth for more than 40 years, died on Feb. 18 at age 94. You can read the obituary on the News Tribune website.
I posted several articles about Wozniak and his store on this site back in 2009. You can find those posts here, here and here.
I dug up a few more photos of Wozniak and his shop from the News Tribune files; here they are:
Richard Wozniak, owner of Young at Heart Records, in his store in April 1993. (Bob King / News-Tribune)
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Richard Wozniak outside his store at 22 W. First St. in June 1981. (Joey McLeister / News-Tribune)
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A customer rifles through stacks of records at Young at Heart Records, 22 W. First St. in downtown Duluth, in June 1981. (Joey McLeister / News-Tribune)
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Richard Wozniak’s desk at Young at Heart Records is littered with mailing from record companies, the latest issue of Record World, blank cassette tapes, two clock radios, and a broken adding machine. (Joey McLeister / News-Tribune)
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A card for the record club at Young at Heart Records in Duluth, June 1981. (Joey McLeister / News-Tribune)
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Richard Wozniak, owner of Young at Heart Records in downtown Duluth, in his store in June 1981. (Joey McLeister / News-Tribune)
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John Harteau of Duluth (right) buys a record from Richard Wozniak at Young at Heart Records, 22 W. First St. in downtown Duluth, in April 1993. Harteau said he’s been a regular customer of the store since the 1950s. (Bob King / News-Tribune)
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Share your memories of Richard Wozniak and Young at Heart Records by posting a comment.
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Richard was a unique, kind, eccentric, thoughtful businessman. How many of us who knew him found he and the shop a quieting oasis in the midst of the “busy-ness” of our lives! As much as there were records everywhere and seemingly only partially organized, he knew where to go to find what you were looking for. Who can forget “cueing” up your latest find on the old record player in the shop for sampling? He was quite a treat to the community of music lovers. I miss him and the shop.
Thanks for posting this; back in the 60′s I bought many a record from
Richard, Musicland was not affordable for a poor boy. He was a real music almanac and a truely kind man once you got to know him.
I began buying records from Mr. Wozniak in 1959 when his record shop was on the East side 5th Ave West, just around the corner from the Lyceum Theater.
Mainly buying 45 rpm’s of Elvis, Buddy Holly and The Everly Brothers. Those were “the good old days”. Mr Wozniak obviously had a great passion and love of music.