Bozeman Mourns Death of Wax Museum Owner Kels Koch

Bozeman, Montana, is mourning the sudden passing of a beloved record store owner and local KGLT DJ.

Kels Koch, owner of the Wax Museum and host of "Shake Appeal" on KGLT, has died unexpectedly. Kels was a great man. He was a friend to many in Bozeman, and his store was considered the go-to spot for hard-to-find records.

Koch was recently hospitalized due to a heart attack and seemed to be on the mend before his sudden passing. Details about a celebration of life have not been released.

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He cared about his customers and always took the time to contact them if something they were looking for showed up in his shop. He was a music historian, and customers could spend hours listening to his fascinating stories and unique perspective on various musical genres.

As I was reading the news on social media, something that one person said about Kels really stood out to me.

You didn't just love music, you shared it. Because of you, so many people's memories have a soundtrack.

As a record collector, his store was an absolute gold mine, and many of the "Holy Grails" in my collection were found at the Wax Museum. Before moving to Bozeman and opening the shop, Kels spent time in Seattle, Austin, and Nashville.

If you knew Kels and called him a friend, consider yourself lucky. He introduced so many of us to great music that we love and listen to every day. His death is guaranteed to leave a giant hole and will be felt for a long time.

This isn't an official obituary, but I wanted to take a moment to honor a great friend of Bozeman and mine.