Pop Encyclopedia Creator Irwin Stambler Dies In LA
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Irwin Stambler, who wrote "The Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock and Soul," one of the earliest sourcebooks on pop music, has died at 92.
His son, Lyndon Stambler, said Thursday that he died Feb. 10 in Los Angeles.
Stambler wrote dozens of books on many topics, from space missions to sports biographies.
His musical interests prompted him to create encyclopedias on Broadway musicals, folk, country and Western music.
The pop encyclopedia appeared in 1974.
The book, which went through several revisions, chronicled the professional and personal lives of everyone from Chuck Berry to The Zombies. In an age before the internet, it provided a convenient and entertainingly written set of mini-biographies.
His son says Stambler often did his own research, interviewing musicians and attending concerts.
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