G'boro Record Store owner brutally murdered
Tori Spelling's Nose
Record store owner dies at home
8-17-99
By ERIKA BOLSTAD, Staff Writer
News & Record
A record store owner and pioneer in North Carolina's underground music
scene was killed Monday in his Mayflower Drive home in the Sunset Hills
neighborhood near UNCG.
Edward LeBrun, who promoted one of the longest-running nightclub raves
in the state, was found dead late Monday afternoon after his employees
stopped by his home to check on him after he failed to show up for work.
LeBrun, 39, was the owner of Spins Compact Discs and tapes in the
Lawndale Shopping Center.
Word about his death spread throughout Greensboro's underground music
scene, fellow DJs, and among the network of young people who were
fixtures at the Friday night raves that LeBrun promoted at Babylon
nightclub on Elm Street.
"It's a tragic loss, an extreme senseless loss," said Chris Evatt, a
friend of LeBrun's and a co-owner of the Zoo Bar on Market Street.
Many who knew LeBrun discussed his murder on the Internet and over the
telephone Tuesday, fueling rumors about how he died. Some friends and
neighbors said that LeBrun may have been tied up and bludgeoned to
death.
Others speculated that LeBrun was shot to death, and feared that
LeBrun's connections to the counterculture world led to his slaying.
Police would not confirm how LeBrun died, saying only that he died from
a violent attack. It is not clear if there was a struggle, and
investigators are looking for signs of forced entry into LeBrun's home,
said Detective David Spagnola.
Police said they haven't ruled out anything in their investigation,
including tips that the killing may be drug-related or a hate-based
slaying provoked by LeBrun's homosexuality.
Police said Tuesday that LeBrun's acquaintances in the city's close-knit
and technologically savvy underground music scene have been helpful with
information and tips, some of them over the Internet. Investigators were
reading their e-mail messages all day Tuesday, Spagnola said.
"Because of his notoriety in the music community, we're getting a lot of
calls," Spagnola said. "I'm blessed with leads at this point, so we're
trying to filter them out."
Police have reconstructed the last few hours before LeBrun's death,
Spagnola said.
LeBrun had gone to the movies with the son of a neighbor, and then they
both went to theBabylon club. LeBrun was last seen leaving the nightclub
alone at 2 a.m. Monday, Spagnola said. It's unclear when LeBrun returned
to his home, a newer brick house in an older neighborhood of mixed homes
near UNCG.
Carol Zealy, LeBrun's next-door neighbor, said she had gotten to know
him through her son, now 19 and a regular at Babylon.
Zealy said her son is deep into the rave and underground music scene.
She described LeBrun as something of a "pied piper" for young people
looking for acceptance.
"He provided a real service and an ear to listen," she said.
LeBrun was a good neighbor who kept his house clean and had no loud
parties, though he had plenty of company. LeBrun was cordial, but often
seemed lonely and sad, she said.
"Every time he saw me, he spoke to me," she said. "He was very polite to
me."
Friends and colleagues describe LeBrun as a shrewd businessman who
brought top-name techno and dance-music artists to Babylon. LeBrun's
name was often in the album liner notes of musicians he had helped
promote early in their careers, colleagues said.
"His store is known to be one of the edgiest record stores there is,"
said Evatt, who first worked with LeBrun in 1991.
Evatt and LeBrun promoted a techno night at the Zoo Bar when it was
known as Kilroys early in the decade. Eventually, LeBrun moved on to to
Babylon, but they kept a close working relationship, Evatt said.
"He was a real pro to deal with," Evatt said.
Roby Dail described LeBrun as one of the easiest people he has ever
dealt with in the music business. Dail, a DJ who has known LeBrun for 10
years, has worked for him off and on over the last decade.
No one in North Carolina put on a rave without consulting LeBrun for
advice, friends said. LeBrun was not only a pioneer in Greensboro's
music scene, but considered influential throughout the southeast,
colleagues said.
"He pretty much is the music scene in Greensboro," said Roby Dail, a DJ
who had known LeBrun for 10 years and worked with him frequently over
the past decade.
"He was very well-known and influential in the underground dance scene
in North Carolina," said Dail, who was stunned by the death.
"I'm at a loss," he said. "This world's gone crazy."
__________________________________
I knew Ed pretty well some years ago. He was a regular customer of the
Record Exchange on Tate St. when I managed it back in 1980-83. He was
also a friend. I only ran into him lately thru consigning some CD's of
my band's at his store, but he always seemed like a fine fellow. I rode
with him to see Devo in Atlanta in 1981 and we also saw King Crimson,
REM, Let's Active and Grace Jones that weekend. I did hear rumors about
his private life over the years but never did I suspect this.
Weird.
M
John Bell
talked with him, & his influence on the rave scene in NC, & the
southeast in general, has been immeasurable. Ed, so many people miss
you.....
John Bell
(change 'NOSPAM' to 'bell' to reply by email)
jmay...@ibm.net
<mn...@mindspring.com> wrote:
>From the depot (Greensboro):
>
>Record store owner dies at home
>
>8-17-99
>
>By ERIKA BOLSTAD, Staff Writer
>News & Record
>
>A record store owner and pioneer in North Carolina's underground music
>scene was killed Monday in his Mayflower Drive home in the Sunset Hills
>neighborhood near UNCG.
>Edward LeBrun, who promoted one of the longest-running nightclub raves
>in the state, was found dead late Monday afternoon after his employees
>stopped by his home to check on him after he failed to show up for work.
>LeBrun, 39, was the owner of Spins Compact Discs and tapes in the
>Lawndale Shopping Center.
Man, that's freaky! I met this guy my freshman year at UNCG when it
was further up the street in G'boro. Cool guy...cool product! Almost
gave me a job...but...I just wasn't hip enough....
Oh, how times have changed!
-Jim
Mike Barker
8-19-99
News & Record
Two men have been arrested in the Monday slaying of a Greensboro record
store owner. Timothy Laney, 19, of Thomasville, and Joshua Gordon, 18, of
High Point, were both arrested at about 1 a.m. Thursday morning, Greensboro
police said. Both men have been charged with first-degree murder, police
said. LeBrun, 39, was killed in his Mayflower Drive home Monday. LeBrun, a
pioneer in Greensboro's underground music scene, owned Spins Compact Discs
and Tapes on Lawndale Drive.
Police are not releasing a motive for the murder.
Tori Spelling's Nose <mn...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:37BB75...@mindspring.com...
> From the depot (Greensboro):
>
> Record store owner dies at home
>
> 8-17-99
>
> By ERIKA BOLSTAD, Staff Writer
> News & Record
>
> A record store owner and pioneer in North Carolina's underground music
> scene was killed Monday in his Mayflower Drive home in the Sunset Hills
> neighborhood near UNCG.
> Edward LeBrun, who promoted one of the longest-running nightclub raves
> in the state, was found dead late Monday afternoon after his employees
> stopped by his home to check on him after he failed to show up for work.
> LeBrun, 39, was the owner of Spins Compact Discs and tapes in the
> Lawndale Shopping Center.
Uzoma Nwosu
Harley, Marcus, and many other dj's have been stunned by what's happened. I
feel that I have lost a part of myself. I use to do all of my vinyl special
orders with him. And he would use to humor me when I kept harasing for more
Mo Wax label stuff cause I said that it would be the bomb one day. Ed was a
dj's only vinyl connection at the beginning of the new electronic music
revolution. He was my first techno connection (He hooked me up with my
first Depth Charge promo).
We've had our differences in promoting but when it all came down, we were
cool with each other. I gave him much respect. He earned it from everyone.
I would not be who I am today if it were not for Ed Le Brun.
May he rest in peace...
Uzoma