Richie Kossuth checks his schedule at Rock Street Music headquarters on Main Street in Pittston. – Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Richie “Rockstreet” Kossuth behind the drums during a gig with his band Flaxy Morgan. – Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Rock Street Music, located at 148 S. Main St., Pittston, is home for production needs, equipment purchases and music lessons. – Tony Callaio | For Sunday DispatchIt seems like a lot of rock bands get their start by working out of a garage. That’s also true for Richie Kossuth and his brother Billy.
Richie and Billy started Rock Street Music in the summer of 1985 – Richie on the music end and Billy on the technical side.
“The reason why we started in my parents’ garage was because I had drums, I had amps, I had PA speakers – might as well go into business,” Richie quipped. “My office was in the front room of my mother’s house, you know, in that room where nobody goes. I had papers everywhere, two phones and you just can’t be in that room.”
Rock Street, of course, had its humble beginnings on Rock Street in Hughestown.
“I figured if we were going to stay there, it would have been Rock Street Music on Rock Street, but if we moved, you know … rock ‘n roll,” Richie said.
Initially, Rock Street Music sold musical equipment out of the garage but, by the end of 1986, the Kossuth brothers landed at their current location at 148 S. Main St., Pittston, across from the Columbus statue.
Over time, Billy left his full-time job and the brothers purchased additional space for warehousing where Billy spends most of his time. Richie still mans the retail/studio/warehouse on South Main Street and mom Marie was drafted to manage the store, allowing Richie more time to spend on other business ventures.
Since opening the retail store, Rock Street Music branched out to renting out high-end sound and light equipment for things as small as church functions to larger concerts the likes of Breaking Benjamin, American, The Fixx, Michael Bolton and countless other musical acts that have paraded through northeastern Pennsylvania.
Eventually, and with plenty of space at the South Main Street location, Rock Street Music created a recording studio.
“We were pretty busy recording for many years,” Richie said. “We had the guitar player from Heart here for a while doing recording sessions, along with Scranton national recording artist Josette Miles. It was pretty neat.”
Breaking Benjamin spent many hours at the Rock Street Music recording studio just as it was making it big on the national level.
“They would be here rehearsing and little kids would come by and get guitar picks from them,” Richie said. “Breaking Benjamin gave me a gold album,” which he proudly displays.
Richie is a veteran musician, playing early with his high school band, Star Struck. He later formed local band perennial Flaxy Morgan, which has had several different line-ups throughout the years and will celebrate its 25th anniversary later this year.
“Early on, a band named Snowdog asked us if we would manage them, as well as utilizing sound and lights,” Rickie said. “So how it worked was, we booked them gigs, my brother and I did the set up and lights and sound so, essentially, we didn’t make any money but it got us working and, little by little, we built up more systems.”
Eventually, the Kossuth brothers were left with a dilemma many successful businesses go through – growing pains. “Do we stay here or do we go to the next level?” Rickie added.
The decision was to move forward, buying newer equipment and booking more jobs.
Over time, Rock Street Music gained a lot of the market share in rental equipment but Richie admits, the business is very cutthroat and even political.
“Over the years, we easily bought over $1.5 million in equipment, just to compete,” he admitted.
The Kossuth brothers don’t regret the path taken to where they are today.
“We went into business to take care of musicians and we still enjoy doing that,” Richie said. “I’m doing my end of the business and Billy is at the warehouse doing his thing.”
As for Richie, a former Sunday Dispatch Person of the Year honoree, he will be in the music industry for as long as he can, and says retirement isn’t coming any time soon.
Reach the Sunday Dispatch newsroom at 570-991-6405 or by email at sd@psdispatch.com.