Zia Record Exchange Owner Brian Faber Passes At 45

Brian Faber

BRIAN FABER, owner, GM/VP of PHOENIX-based retail chain ZIA RECORD EXCHANGE, died SUNDAY after suffering a brain hemorrhage and stroke, according to a report on AZCENTRAL.COM. He would have turned 46 this FRIDAY.

ZIA RECORD EXCHANGE has posted an official statement on its FACEBOOK page in which the store paid tribute to his "boundless energy, enthusiasm, wit, love of people and vision, saying, "He inspired us to believe in ourselves."

Details of a memorial service and fund will be posted on the website soon.

MUSIC BIZ President JAMES DONIO stated: “MUSIC BIZ is shocked and saddened to learn of the sudden passing of BRIAN FABER, a pillar of the independent music retail community. During his 13 years as VP/GM of ZIA RECORD EXCHANGE,BRIAN was instrumental in growing the company to nine locations in PHOENIX and TUCSON as well as LAS VEGAS. He did this by listening to his customers, both in person and on social media, and working tirelessly to give them exactly what they wanted, whether it be music, movies, books, or other media. He was also a fierce proponent of his ARIZONA community, ensuring that ZIA gave back to local charities and providing local bands with a chance to find a following in his stores. Our deepest condolences go out to those whose lives he touched... his family, his friends, and his dearest colleagues in the DEPARTMENT OF RECORD STORES (DORS) coalition.”

The first ZIA opened its doors in 1980 in PHOENIX. The recent expansion into MESA brought the total of stores in the chain to nine, with locations in TUCSON and LAS VEGAS. 

Co-worker JASON PATRICK WOODBURY wrote on FACEBOOK that he’d all but given up on posting anything because "no words could hope to capture the enthusiasm and humor of his oversized personality.”

WOODBURY wrote. “He was a unique, powerful force in my life, and I'm far from the only one. Since the news of his passing has spread, I've received texts, messages, and calls from people I know through ZIA RECORDS. BRIAN affected them all, and through his efforts and vision we had a place to call our own. Nearly every one of these correspondences has ended the same way: ‘I love you.’

FABER's survivors include wife KATE and his mother.

A quote BRIAN shared at the time of HOODLUMS owner STEVE WILEY's sudden death in 2014 seemed particularly appropriate.

"‘His passing will serve as a stark reminder of why we need to make time for each other, that sharing moments with people you love or admire or that make you laugh or make you swoon, all matter.’"

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