This is a story of a lifetime spent in the trenches of the mercantile class. Yes, it’s been said before, but punk rock did change our lives. You’re about to read a patchwork of triumphant, bittersweet and sometimes painful memories. From 1981 until 2014, my wife Julianna and I owned and operated a totally independent record shop called Toxic Shock. Our mission was to support independent music and the culture it came from. To that end, we refused to sell major label releases and preferred to promote the outsiders in the music “industry.”
We were lucky to have been in the right place at the right time, as punk was spreading to the suburbs and beyond. We also ran an independent record label through much of this period, working with some pretty diverse characters. As with many “do it yourself” ventures and personal relationships, we had our share of ups and downs. The record store supported us financially up until the mid 1990s, when taking on a part-time job in the “real world” became a necessity.
In December of 2011, my wife had a major stroke. This single event dramatically changed our lives and Julianna did her best to recover from its devastating effects. We had a shop in downtown Tucson for 23 years at that point. That finally came to an end, as our landlord wanted his building back and the majority of my time needed to be devoted as Julianna’s primary caregiver. Challenging times indeed, but not the first one.
We had a pretty long run—eight years in Pomona, California, a short venture in New Orleans, then another 26 years as Toxic Ranch here in Tucson. It was one wild ride, so buckle up and thank you for reading our life story!
Bill Sassenberger was born in Springfield IL and was driven west like a tumbleweed, to Phoenix, then southern California until he was finally wedged between rocks in Tucson AZ and settled down in 1988. His first book is TOXIC SHOCK Assassin of Mediocrity A Story of Love, Loss and Loud Music, published by Earth Island Books. Bill and his late wife Julianna Towns were the proprietors of Toxic Shock Records, which operated its gloriously weird store and record label at various Pomona CA locations and brief foray in New Orleans from 1980 to 1988, before decamping to Tucson, Arizona where it became vital for a whole new group of outsider music fans up until its 2014 closure. Today, Bill lives in Tucson and enjoys spending his spare time innkeeping, budget traveling, collecting gimcrack and eating broccoli.
Thoughts Words Action 