Logan’s Pianos: Burwood store celebrates milestone with Elton John story

An inner west piano store has celebrated 100 years of memories and famous customers including Barbra Streisand and the Rocket Man himself, Elton John

An early image of the piano store

They’ve supplied pianos to Elton John and Barbra Streisand, and even after 100 years this inner west music store is still going strong.

A century in the game and Logans Pianos is showing no sign of old age, instead it is cementing its legacy in Australia’s music scene.

The store is now run by a fourth generation Logan, Chris alongside his father Geoff.

The Logan family migrated from their native Scotland in 1908. Twelve years later Logans Pianos was born.

Geoff and Chris Logan of Logan's Pianos in Burwood and historical pictures of the store

Their great grandfather, funnily enough, knew nothing about pianos because he was a violinist.

But it was not long before piano lovers across Sydney were paying him a visit.

By 1925 the family had no fewer than five stores in the city with branches in Bexley, Hurstville, Bankstown and two in Burwood.

But then came the great depression leaving them with just the Burwood store.

There was more trouble in the 1960s when TVs became commonplace in households.

Rocket Man Elton John. Picture: Patrick Woods/Sunshine Coast Daily.

Barbara Streisand is one of the store’s most notable customers.

So the Logans resorted to selling washing machines as well.

“They used to sell washing machines because pianos has fallen out of favour with TV and my grandfather and dad got in there and reconditioned them,” Chris Logan said.

But their reputation for great quality and customer service saw them through.

The Logans can also count a few famous faces as customers – not least the Rocket Man himself, Elton John.

“I wish we kept the receipt stub,” Chris recalls of the Elton John purchase.

“I would have been a few years old (at the time).”

Elton had sent a staffer to the store in the 1980s on an important mission – find a piano for the tour manager.

“He bought it for one of his mates, he got it as a gift for him after he did a lot of arrangement in the 1980s for his tour,” Chris added.

How the store used to look.

American songstress Barbra Streisand was also a customer while down under in the 1990s.

But that interaction is perhaps not quite a fond memory.

“Apparently she was known for being quite a diva,” Mr Logan said.

“My dad asked if she could sign the piano when she returned it and she didn’t.”

Today Logans Pianos remains as one of the very few reminders of the old inner west as the skyline around Burwood grows.

Here’s to another 100 years.