“You want a beer?” If John knew you, he was not shy about offering a beer and inviting you into his office, which was chock full of papers, memorabilia, and his coveted binder that contained the complete history of Dragon Song from its earliest days – all in picture and article form. The shop ever smelled of incense and cigarette smoke, and was filled with vinyl records, cassettes, CDs, tapestries, shirts, and a host of other gifts and collectibles. Dragon Song was, Dragon Song.
Ask anyone in the Manassas area if they remember Dragon Song, and more often than not you’ll get one of two answers: “Oh yeah, the shop that used to be on [route] 28, in that house…” or, “Oh yeah, Dragon Song, what’s the guy’s name…John, the record shop on Mathis Ave.” Many don’t realize that after spending 23 or so years at the Route 28 location around Yorkshire, that he purchased and moved to a location off of Mathis Avenue in Samantha’s Corner and spent another 24 years at that location until his retirement in March/April of 2026. Part of the reason no one realized he was still around is that John was not the digital kind, forever old school. No computer. No cell phone. No website. No social media. Every transaction was handwritten in a large notebook. You couldn’t help but admire the anti-digital dedication!
Forty-seven years is no small feat to be in business in this day and age. John could talk all day about vinyl care, record player maintenance, and telling musical story after story. He loved to reminisce. It’s part of who he was, and that contributed to the reputation the shop built over these 47 years. Both Dragon Song and John will be missed dearly, and both leave a hole in the Manassas community.
A personal note from Deron Blevins:
Many of you know I also own Black Metal Mercantile and Dragonized Records. I remember Dragon Song from my teenage days (I grew up here in Manassas off of Westmoreland Ave.). That baby blue (and then purple?) building there in Yorkshire not far from the Yorkshire Market – you couldn’t miss it.
As my record shop grew inside of Black Metal Mercantile over the past couple years, the main reason I never fully published a name for my record shop was that John and I had talked for a good 8-12+ months about me buying Dragon Song and taking it over.
He was ready to retire (I think his wife would have had him retired 7 years ago!) and really wanted someone to buy it all- the shop and the location. I wasn’t interested in the location. In the end, I purchased some items, but we could never agree on a price for everything, and he eventually sold the building. I actually told him at one point that Dragon Song needed to die with his retirement; he was Dragon Song. As he was winding down, he would send a lot of people my way, and I was still sending people his way. He was a great cheerleader for my shop’s growth, and that meant a lot to me.
I liked John; he was a friend and the real deal. The last time we got together, we went from front to back in his Dragon Song binder. The history in there was pretty amazing. I also remember his phone calls with his mom, which, if I am not mistaken, happened at least once a day. I’m not a beer drinker, but I accepted one from him while we chatted – it felt necessary! I knew he had some health issues arise but was totally surprised to hear of his passing. I’ll remember him as an important brick in my wall. Dragonized Records was partly named as a hat tip to him and his shop.
Rest in peace, Dragon.
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https://www.bakerpostfh.com/memorials/john-burgess/5761680/
John Michael Burgess, 72, of Manassas, VA, passed away on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at UVA Prince William Medical Center, Manassas, VA
The family will receive friends on Thursday, November 19, 2026, from 12:00 P.M.-1:00 P.M. at Baker-Post Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 10001 Nokesville Road, Manassas, VA 20110.
A funeral service will follow at 1:00 P.M. in the funeral home chapel.
Interment will be in Stonewall Memory Gardens, 12004 Lee Highway, Manassas, VA 20119.
Submitted by Deron Blevins
This article was submitted through Locals Only News, a member-supported community news service exclusively for our members.
