Radio personality, Auburn record store owner Al Lauer dies at 71

Local friends, family and thousands of music lovers in the Gold Country are mourning the passing Cherry Records store owner and longtime Auburn resident Al Lauer, who died of a heart attack early Sunday, April 19. He was 71. Lauer built his business in 1983 from humble beginnings and his own record collection in a little shop on Cherry Street, selling used records that were known for being in perfect, or "cherry," condition. The shop's name was a nod to Lauer's ever-present sense of humor. He later moved to the Gold Country Mall, then to the former Nat's men's store and finally across the street to the current location at 925 Lincoln Way, adding new records, tapes, CDs and turntables to his inventory along the way. He was a member of the Downtown Merchants Association and supported youth music programs at Placer High School and in the Auburn area. Known for his cheery personality and enthusiasm for tracking down customer requests, Lauer had a gift for making each customer feel special. He was always handy with nuggets of music trivia about a particular artist a customer showed an interest in, and built quite a following from around the greater Sacramento area. Cherry Records became a destination location, especially for vinyl enthusiasts. Cherry Records was a winner of multiple "People's Choice" awards and has been the subject of feature stories in the Auburn Journal often. Lauer was also a local radio personality, having worked at KAHI and KHYL for a short stint in the early 1980s. Later, he built a large following on KVMR radio with his Reggae/Blues Tropical Storm program, which aired for two decades, followed by Duke's Place, an imaginary blues and funk club with real stars and Al as maître d'. He also received a KVMR Lifetime Achievement Award and had a short stint at KFOK in Georgetown. In a tribute broadcast, Lauer's co-host at KVMR, Cristopher Redlocks, noted how meticulous and prepared his partner was for every show. "Al was well-organized; he was a real pro. He taught us all so much about the music," said Redlocks. "Al loved sharing his music knowledge with radio listeners and customers," said his wife, Kelley. "He often joked, he had lots of useless knowledge, but it was the stuff that amazed us all. That's what brought the customers back, along with this 'Magic Hands.' " Born in Long Beach and raised in Ophir, Lauer was a product of Ophir School, Placer High and Sierra College. He was an accomplished baseball and softball player. He played for the local Homestead Grays softball team, who gave him the nickname "Honus," after Hall-of-Fame player Honus Wagner because of his smooth field skills and hardnosed play. Lauer played Auburn Little League, Babe Ruth league and played at Placer and Sierra. He was an old-school baseball player who believed in having respect for the game at every level. "He was all about hustle and playing the game right," said longtime friend and teammate Toby Covich. "He was doing the headfirst slides in Babe Ruth baseball before anyone thought about that. He was a great teammate." Lauer's Long Beach roots tied him to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and he was thrilled when they broke their long World Series drought in recent years. Lauer also brought something else with him from the southland … a love of Disneyland. He visited there often and he always beamed, "It's the happiest place on Earth!" His other happy place was the garden, where his green thumb produced a variety of fruit trees. He often put out boxes of fruit to share with the neighbors. In recent years, Lauer picked up the mandolin and played with Kelley and friends who would sit in after hours at the record store. Lauer was a big promotor of the annual Record Store Day, and ironically that was the last day of his long and full life. "Al was generous, always donating to the community with gifts or holding his own raffles," said Scott Holbrook, owner of Keep Smilin' Productions. "He volunteered for nonprofits, supported local musicians and promoters, allowing everyone to use his store to hang banners or sell tickets. Al was special' there is no way he can be replaced." Lauer is survived by his wife, Kelley, sister Candace Roeder, brother Dave Martindale, daughter Hope Lauer (Damien Papson), grandson Frank Papson, brand new grandson Alexander Roy Papson, son Colin Cutler (Marisa) and grandson William Cutler. Cherry Records will live on and the doors are open! Services/party are pending. Those interested in the future celebration of life may email CheryRec@hotmail.com.