Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Founder of Tower Records dies at 92 while drinking whiskey and watching the Oscars
Sacramento Bee ^ | March 5, 2018 | DALE KASLER AND BOB SHALLIT

Posted on 03/06/2018 9:24:38 AM PST by rightwingintelligentsia

Talk about the perfect coda: Tower Records founder Russ Solomon died with a drink in his hand and a smart-aleck remark on his lips.

The swashbuckling, visionary entrepreneur who built a global retailing empire and the most famous company in Sacramento history died Sunday night of an apparent heart attack. He was 92.

Solomon was watching the Academy Awards ceremony Sunday night at his Sacramento-area home when he was stricken, said his son, Michael Solomon, the former chief executive of Tower.

"Ironically, he was giving his opinion of what someone was wearing that he thought was ugly, then asked (his wife) Patti to refill his whiskey," Solomon said. When she returned, he had died.

(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; Music/Entertainment
KEYWORDS: elderly; hollywood; music; obituary; oscars; russsolomon; tower
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-77 next last

1 posted on 03/06/2018 9:24:38 AM PST by rightwingintelligentsia
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: rightwingintelligentsia

I guess there are worse ways to go. + for glass of whiskey in hand. - for watching the Oscars.


2 posted on 03/06/2018 9:26:31 AM PST by Flick Lives
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rightwingintelligentsia

Oscars so bad it killed him. Surely the drink didn’t.


3 posted on 03/06/2018 9:26:37 AM PST by Reno89519 (Americans Are Dreamers, Too! No to Amnesty, Yes to Catch-and-Deport, and Yes to E-Verify.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rightwingintelligentsia

So, it was suicide? Oscars drive people to drink themselves to death? No doubt the oscars or the booze will NOT be blamed.


4 posted on 03/06/2018 9:26:43 AM PST by rktman (Enlisted in the Navy in '67 to protect folks rights to strip my rights. WTH?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rightwingintelligentsia

Yet another reason to not watch the oscars.


5 posted on 03/06/2018 9:27:06 AM PST by hal ogen (First Amendment or Reeducation Camp?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rightwingintelligentsia

Oscars would gag a blow fly.


6 posted on 03/06/2018 9:27:46 AM PST by Bonemaker (invictus maneo)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rightwingintelligentsia

Worst. Oscars. Ever.


7 posted on 03/06/2018 9:27:54 AM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rightwingintelligentsia

Who had the bad dress, shame her for killing this 92 year old.


8 posted on 03/06/2018 9:28:25 AM PST by Reno89519 (Americans Are Dreamers, Too! No to Amnesty, Yes to Catch-and-Deport, and Yes to E-Verify.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rightwingintelligentsia

Bored to death no doubt.


9 posted on 03/06/2018 9:29:11 AM PST by DoodleDawg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rightwingintelligentsia

Boston had a great Tower Records store back in the day, right next to Berklee College of Music. Spent a lot of time there. Good times.


10 posted on 03/06/2018 9:29:48 AM PST by ClearCase_guy (The government cannot protect you and isn't even trying. Self-defense is a right.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rightwingintelligentsia

I miss the old Tower Records stores. Then again, I miss mass market music that’s actually worth listening to, which went the way of the dinosaur along about the time that Tower Records did.


11 posted on 03/06/2018 9:29:52 AM PST by RegulatorCountry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Flick Lives

Drinking whiskey isn’t a bad way to go. Watching the Oscars, not so good.


12 posted on 03/06/2018 9:30:30 AM PST by Vigilanteman (ObaMao: Fake America, Fake Messiah, Fake Black man. How many fakes can you fit into one Zer0?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: rightwingintelligentsia
The dress wasn't that ugly!
13 posted on 03/06/2018 9:30:51 AM PST by publius911 (Am I pissed? You have NO idea...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DoodleDawg

Head exploded from cognitive dissonance.


14 posted on 03/06/2018 9:31:43 AM PST by SpinnerWebb (Winter is coming)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: ClearCase_guy

Whatever happened to record stores?

Yes I know CDs replaced vinyl years ago. But there was a time when these record stores were still around but we’re selling mostly CDs after the decline of vinyl records.

Does everyone just download music off the internet nowadays?


15 posted on 03/06/2018 9:32:13 AM PST by Dilbert San Diego
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: rightwingintelligentsia

16 posted on 03/06/2018 9:33:19 AM PST by Red Badger (The people who call Trump a tyrant are the same people who want the president to confiscate weapons.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rightwingintelligentsia

He was probably talking about either Lindsey Vonn, a girl singer called St. Vincent, or actress Blanca Blanco.
All three had sort of strange outfits.


17 posted on 03/06/2018 9:37:02 AM PST by lee martell
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dilbert San Diego
"Does everyone just download music off the internet nowadays?"

Not me - I still spin the vinyl discs.

18 posted on 03/06/2018 9:37:53 AM PST by Psalm 73 ("Gentlemen, you can't fight in here - this is the War Room".)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Dilbert San Diego

There is an interesting bit in the movie “The Social Network” about the beginnings of Facebook.

Mark Zuckerberg and his business partner (forget the name, played by Andrew Garfield) are starting to take off and they are invited to lunch by Sean Parker, a young entrepreneur who started Napster. Played by Justin Timberlake.

Zuckerberg and Parker instantly connect, but business partner Garfield does not like Parker at all and they continually jab at each other over dinner.

At one point, Parker tells the story of Napster, the lawsuits, and judgment against him and notes that in the end, “We won”.

Garfield says, “Wait a minute, wait a minute. You won? The judgment was against you. You owed millions of dollars. How, exactly, did Napster win?”

Parker says, “When was the last time you were in a Tower Records?”

Streaming killed music on physical media. Napster won. At least the business model won. That means iTunes won because they followed the model and avoided lawsuits.


19 posted on 03/06/2018 9:39:31 AM PST by ClearCase_guy (The government cannot protect you and isn't even trying. Self-defense is a right.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Dilbert San Diego

I buy everything off the internet.


20 posted on 03/06/2018 9:40:32 AM PST by rlmorel (Leftists: American Liberty is the egg that requires breaking to make their Utopian omelette)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-77 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson