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Mantecas Music Man
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Manteca doesn’t want to see the music die. Not from Darryl Bain’s accordion, anyway.

Nearly two weeks after The Bulletin published a story about the former Salvation Army music director and his broken accordion, letters and phone calls continue to pour in.

Many have inquired about the accordion, which Bain says was picked up by the original owners and taken in for repairs with the promise they’d return it.

Some have even offered to help Bain with general living expenses. The 60-year-old and his girlfriend, Sharie Romero, have fallen on hard times. The two are $1,200 behind on the rent for their duplex near Southside Park. Two windows on Bain’s van have been broken. And neither one has a regular job.

The consensus among the callers and writers is clear: Bain’s music is part of the Family City’s fabric.

He has serenaded Manteca’s holiday shoppers for years, even playing his accordion in a driving rain last winter.

“A Manteca without Darryl giving is a Manteca that I do not want to envision,” wrote David Canning, a former resident. “When his mother passed, the two wept with him. This is an injury that can be fixed with a small amount of effort and I, personally, would appreciate having the opportunity to help.”

If you’d like to help Bain and Romero, contact them at (209) 823-8514 after 4:30 p.m.