Between 2001 and 2006 I worked at a little grocery store in North Topeka called Falley’s Market. The kind of grocery store where you learn a lot about your customers. You know their faces, names, hobbies, and more.
Almost nightly Dan Falley (no relation to the stores namesake) would come in on his way from work. He owned and operated Dan’s Guitar Shop on Kansas Ave. He did more then just sold guitars, he made them. He thought people how to play them.
He would show up at the store in his mini van (usually jammed with musical instruments) and talk music with Taylor and I while shopping. He ended up hooking Taylor up with a pretty good guitar case and some peddles, and I think even an acoustic. When I told him I was looking into buying a bass he would keep me posted on what he had in stock. Before leaving the store he would always sign his checks with a “Dan’s Guitar Shop” pen. He always managed to leave these pens behind…Free advertisement? Anyway some of these pens always would make their way home with me at the end of the night, along with rubber bands, receipts and whatever else.
During my TM2 (Topeka Music Movement) days Dan came to a few of our meetings. Even after one meeting at the Celtic Fox we got to see him play guitar. That man was amazing at playing the 6 stringed instrument. He later put out a CD of music he had been putting together over his 35 years of playing music. He made a myspace and friend-ed me on it to still keep me up to date and I would do the same for him.
On one of my trips to Kansas I had ran into Dan at Falley’s. I told him I had moved to Seattle and he wished me “good luck”.
I went to the grocery store here in Lynnwood tonight. When I get home I have the following IM’s waiting for me from Taylor:
Taylor: did you hear about dan?
Taylor: ???
Taylor signed off at 9:07:37 PM.
I went CJOnline to check the news, I normally do this first thing in the morning, but today I didn’t.
“Best guitar player in Topeka’ loses life in vehicle accident”
When local rock musicians worth their salt kicked back and debated who should be ranked as the top guitar player in Topeka, the name Dan Falley inevitably came up.Longtime friend Danl Blackwood, 53, of Topeka, said Falley was hands-down “one of the best, if not the best,” guitar player in town.Falley, owner of Dan’s Guitar Shop at 1400 S. Kansas Ave., died Sunday night after a two-vehicle crash at N.W. 82nd and Topeka Boulevard. He was 55.Sgt. Danny Lotridge, of the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office, said Falley, of Hoyt, was driving a blue Plymouth minivan north on N.W. Topeka Boulevard when it collided with a maroon Dodge minivan being driven west on N.W. 82nd by Darrell Carder, of Holton.
Falley, who authorities said wasn’t wearing a seat belt, was ejected from his vehicle and was taken to Stormont-Vail Health Center, where he died later Sunday night.
Carder, who had minor injuries, also was taken to Stormont-Vail, where he was treated, then released, the sheriff’s office said. Carder was wearing a seat belt, authorities said.
Both drivers were alone in their vehicles.
The accident remained under investigation Monday, as family members and friends were coming to grips with Falley’s death.
Blackwood said he first played in a band with Falley around 1969 with a group known as the Chevelles. Falley played in many other groups since then, most recently with his popular band Fyrestorm.
“It’s an awesome rock band,” Blackwood said of Fyrestorm. “Anytime a band has a guitarist like Danny, it’s going to be a blazing band.”
Falley helped lead Sunday night jam sessions in the past at the Celtic Fox in downtown Topeka. He also played at other local night spots.
But it was his work at his one-of-a-kind guitar shop on the south fringes of downtown Topeka where many people knew him best.
Blackwood said he took his bass guitar to Falley’s shop for work.
“He never overcharged,” Blackwood said. “Sometimes he’d fix stuff and not even charge at all.”
Blackwood said area bands — nearly all of whom knew Falley — were planning on benefit concerts to help defray Falley’s funeral costs. Services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Davidson Funeral Home, 1035 N. Kansas Ave.
From his shop, Falley not only repaired and sold guitars, but also built them from scratch. He also offered lessons to people of all ages and abilities.
One of his students, Leonard Cullison, showed up at the shop for his lesson at 4:30 p.m. Monday, only to find out Falley had died in a crash.
“What a shock,” said Cullison, 80.
Cullison said he decided to take up the guitar about a year ago and was referred to Falley as a possible teacher.
Falley proved more than knowledgeable and patient in his guitar teaching, also talking about the finer parts of the instrument with his students and demonstrating “what could be done on the guitar,” Cullison said. “He was a marvelous musician.”
Falley’s sister, Colleen Wallisch, 70, of Hoyt, said music was her brother’s life. Falley frequently ran lights and sound for other groups and would play guitar as a fill-in for bands when needed.
He was 10 minutes from home at the time of Sunday night’s accident, Wallisch said.
“He had a serious side, but he also had a fun side,” she said. “No matter how things were looking, he was always upbeat about it.”
Said niece Janette Harris, 34: “He really was an amazing musician — I mean amazing. He had talent like very few had. You talk to just about anyone and they’ll tell you he was the best guitar player in Topeka.”
I was and in total shock. I checked the other new outlets, KSNT and WIBW had it front page with videos. I checked Dan’s myspace and left a comment like many others had. I wish I could be home to say goodbye one last time, but I have the bittersweet “good luck” blessing from him.
I thought about, what if Falley’s was still open? Would he of stopped by to get groceries? Maybe then that car wouldn’t of been there to run the stop sign and hit Dan?
Dan, you were a very talented man, and you will be missed.
I still have a “Dan’s Guitar Shop” pen at my desk at work…and I will be using it all day.
