our story
Musichead is a leading photography gallery specializing in iconic & unseen images devoted to music history. Detroit luminary Sam Milgrom started Musichead as a 300 square-foot storefront on Melrose ave in 1998, and has since expanded it to its current location in the former Valdez Guitar Building. Representing over 80 photographers, our image archive spans genres and decades. From live shots to intimate behind-the-scenes moments, we have thousands of prints available in a variety of sizes. We are also home to exhibitions, artists talks, book signings, film screenings and intimate concerts.
Our in-house fine art custom framing studio ensures that any piece you purchase will be uniquely tailored to your tastes. From the subject matter of the photo to the finishing of the wood on the frame, we are committed to helping you adorn your home, studio or office with artwork that reflects the love we share for music.
Sam Milgrom
Sam Milgrom has built a nationally acclaimed music store, turned a historic movie house into a landmark music and arts venue, and, in 1998, launched Musichead Gallery. Born and raised in the Motor City, Sam’s businesses have been driven by his passion for music and dedication to celebrating music’s history.
In 1978, Sam opened his record shop, Sam’s Jams, a 200 square foot storefront just outside of Detroit. With an award winning ad campaign, he quickly expanded and, in 1982 moved into a 10,000 square foot space. Hosting high profile autograph sessions (Metallica, Tony Bennett, Duran Duran, B52s, The Jam) and live music concerts became a hallmark of their promotional impact. Sam’s Jams became one of the country’s largest volume independent music stores with an inventory of over 500,000 records. As a record store owner and collector, Sam learned about the artists and photographers for each album cover. As a successful retailer, Sam learned the art of curating displays with the artful album covers along with record reviews.
After hosting dozens of in-store live music concerts, Sam then rescued a nearby abandoned 1920’s moviehouse and, after refurbishment, opened the live music venue The Magic Bag in 1991. It featured nationally touring Rock, Blues, R&B and Jazz legends like War, Sheila E. Lee Rocker, Junior Wells, and Max Roach while showcasing Detroit’s burgeoning talent.
In 1996, Sam moved from Detroit to Los Angeles, and in 1998 opened Musichead Gallery as a 200 sq-foot storefront off Melrose Ave. Sam relocated to Sunset Boulevard in 2004, and then to its current location across the street, in the former Valdez Guitar Factory. When Henry Rollins came into his store one day and suggested Sam look into selling images by LA rock photographer Neil Zlozower, Sam began his journey of representing fine-art music photographers and has never looked back.
Sam’s expertise led him to grow a roster of 80 plus photographers and artists. In addition to curating dozens of world premiere and LA premiere art & photography exhibitions, Musichead has also served as a venue for book signings, film screenings, artist talks, and more. The gallery has hosted over 150 jazz concerts featuring renowned Kamasi Washington, Bennie Maupin and Vijay Iyer.
So many of our clients have been drawn to Sam’s warmth and charisma, and his passion is the bedrock of Musichead Gallery. From the marquee on our storefront, which harkens back to the Magic Bag, to our room of matted prints you can flip through just like the records at Sam’s Jams, Musichead is as much about Sam’s life journey as it is the love we all share for music.
