Interview by Abernathy Cochran intern and Gainesville High School senior Donangelo Marshall

Meet Moe Lyons! DJ Moe has lived in Hall County for 20 years and owns Moe’s Record Shop on Bradford Street, just off the downtown Gainesville square. His dream was to open his own record shop and share his love of music with the community.
We want to thank Moe for spending time with us recently and telling us more about his life and love of Hall County.

Question: Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
Answer: “We’ve been in Hall County since 2000, I moved here to manage Turtle’s Record Store but I left that and worked for the City of Gainesville for 18 years. I decided to open a record store, so I retired from there and that’s where I’m at, still in the music business. Technically I’ve been doing music since about ‘85, I started working at a  record store part time at Christmas in Scottsville, Kentucky, where I’m from.”

Q: What inspired you or led you to your current career?
A: “I’m got into music at young age and I really enjoyed it. I always wanted to open a store of my own and it didn’t  work out until I was 60; so it took me a while to get there, ha-ha.”

Q: What is your favorite restaurant in Hall County and what do you love there?
A: “I like Crossroads down in Flowery Branch…I usually get country fried steak.”

Q: How long have you lived or worked in Hall County?
A: “I’ve lived here for 20 years now, we moved here March of 2000.”

Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in Hall County?
A: “A couple of people, one is Chet White, he works for the radio station and then Damond Castleberry, he’s from here and he worked together for the City of Gainesville and is a really good friend of mine; so they’re the two most interesting people that I’ve met since I’ve been here.”

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
A: “I’ve always wanted to go to Australia and New Zealand because I’ve been so fascinated with the whole area for some reason and I think it would be nice to visit it.”

Q: What is your favorite movie? Or what is the first movie you remember seeing in the theater?
A: “The first movie I remember seeing in the theater was a Bruce Lee movie, ‘Fist of Fury.’ And probably my favorite movie is a movie from 1963, ‘It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.’”

Q: What advice would you give to a crowd of people?
A: “Right now…just social distance, behave yourself, don’t act like a fool, keep yourself under control.”

Q: What is something on your bucket list?
A: “Beside Australia, I would love to go see the Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Canyon.”

Q: What is your favorite music or three bands that you would like to see (dead or alive)?
A: “My favorite music is jazz, I’m a big jazz person and I have a jazz show now in a radio station. Back in the day I would like to see James Brown and Otis Redding, though he died in 1967.”

Q: If you could choose anyone that is alive today and not a relative with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where in Hall County would you have lunch?
A: “President Barrack Obama, I would just love to sit down and talk to him. I would probably take him to Recess.”

Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about Hall County?
A: “Just the square itself, we’ve got some interesting artifacts and things down here…it’s pretty unique.”

Q: Where do you see yourself in five to 10 years?
A: “Hopefully retired but if not still running this record store right here in the same location.”

Q: What are the three words or phrases that comes to mind when you hear the word “HOME”?
A: “Safe, Comfort and Relaxed.”

Q: If you have a full-time staff member that is fully paid for, who would you choose? Chef, Housekeeper, Driver, Coach, Physical Fitness Trainer or Nanny?
A: “A Physical Fitness Trainer for sure, hands down.”

Q: What is favorite record in here?
A: “School Days by Stanley Clarke.”