PORTMAN’S MUSIC SUPERSTORE CELEBRATES 90 YEARS AS GEORGIA’S OLDEST CONTINUOUSLY OPERATED MUSIC RETAILER

SAVANNAH – Portman’s Music Superstore, a cornerstone of music retail and music education across Georgia and South Carolina, is celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2026.

Founded in downtown Savannah in 1936, Portman’s holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously operated music retailer in the state of Georgia — a milestone that reflects nine decades of commitment to musicians, students, and school music programs across the region.

Portman’s Music is now proud to be the oldest continuously operated music retailer in the state of Georgia, tracing its roots back to being founded in 1936 in downtown Savannah. Portman’s Music grew to be a music retailer and music education resource with locations in Savannah, Ga., Augusta, Ga., Albany, Ga., and Brunswick, Ga., that was recognized by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) as a Top 100 Music Dealer in 2022, 2023 and 2025. Throughout its growth and expansion, Portman Music has adhered to the Portman family’s original innovative spirit and emphasis on the importance of music education.

A Family Legacy Built on Music Education

The Portman’s story begins even earlier than 1936. Sam Portman, the grandfather of current owner Jerry Portman, was selling musical instruments on Broughton Street as early as 1910. His son, Ben Portman, built on that foundation and formalized the business in 1936 alongside his wife, Pearl Portman, laying the groundwork for what would become Portman’s Music Superstore as it is known today.

Ben Portman became one of the first Georgia dealers of Conn-Selmer band instruments and Gibson and Martin guitars, introducing Fender and Gibson electric guitars to the region in the early 1950s. His vision extended beyond retail: Ben Portman was among the founding members of the National Association of School Music Dealers (NASMD) in 1962, helping establish the national organization that continues to advocate for school music programs and the dealers who serve them.

Portman’s Music was also recognized as the first full-line music store in the state of Georgia, a pioneering achievement that set the standard for music retail across the Southeast.

Ben Portman coined the phrase that still defines the company today: “Everything for the musician.”

Jerry Portman began working alongside his father as a pre-teen in the 1950s and has guided the company’s growth ever since alongside his wife, Myra Portman. As Portman’s celebrates another milestone anniversary, Jerry and Myra are still the driving force behind the company’s commitment to each customer who walks through the door at a Portman’s store location.

“My father coined the phrase, ‘Everything for the musician,’ and that’s still absolutely true in 2026,” said Jerry Portman, who began working in the store as a pre-teen with his father, Ben Portman, in the 1950s. “Our top priorities have always been taking care of the customers, offering the best equipment from the best brands and providing excellent music education options for anyone who wants to learn to play. For years, people I see in the grocery store or in a restaurant will tell me they learned to play an instrument at Portman’s Music, and now they’re coming to us for their children or grandchildren.”

The Region’s Music Education Partner for 90 Years

Music education has always been at the forefront of the Portman’s Music mission, and each Portman’s Music store has instructional studios as well as a faculty of instructors covering a wide variety of instruments. In Savannah, Portman’s was instrumental in helping start band programs in virtually every public and private school in Coastal Georgia, South Georgia and the South Carolina Lowcountry.

Today, Portman’s Music remains the primary musical equipment provider for school band programs across the Coastal Empire, middle and southeast Georgia, the South Carolina Lowcountry, and the Central Savannah River Area, including Augusta and northwest South Carolina.

Countless students have taken their first musical steps with an instrument and instruction from Portman’s – a legacy that now spans multiple generations of families.

Georgia’s Home for the World’s Top Instrument Brands

Band and orchestra instruments have always been the foundation upon which Portman’s Music was built, and that commitment runs deeper than ever today. Portman’s is an authorized dealer for the most respected names in band and orchestra instruments, carrying a comprehensive selection from Yamaha, Eastman, Shires, Haynes, Backun, Conn-Selmer, Bach, King, Jupiter, Pearl, Mapex, Fox, and Buffet. Whether outfitting a beginning band student or a seasoned professional, Portman’s ensures that players across the region have access to the world’s finest woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments.

On the combo side, Portman’s Music Superstore carries a comprehensive lineup that includes Fender, Gibson, Martin, Taylor, Gretsch, Ibanez, Alvarez, Vox, Marshall, Yamaha, Roland, Korg, Pearl, Tama, and Ludwig, ensuring that guitarists, bassists, and keyboardists at every level have access to the world’s premier instruments and amplification. Together, Portman’s full range inventory delivers on its founding promise: everything for the musician.

Growing With the Industry

In recent years, Portman’s Music has expanded beyond instruments and music education to become a leading regional provider of professional sound systems and public address systems, outfitting stadiums, churches, schools, and gymnasiums throughout Georgia and South Carolina with state-of-the-art audio equipment.

“Over the 90 years, our business has changed with the music and sound industry,” Jerry Portman said. “When our family started the business, we helped organize band programs for just about every school in and around Savannah, and now we’ve installed incredible sound systems in the stadiums and gymnasiums for those same schools and more facilities all over the state of Georgia. The business grew by providing everything that the musician needs, and that’s how we have been able to stay on top for 90 years.”