Tower Records Founder Dies At 92 While Reportedly Drinking Whiskey And Watching Oscars

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) -- Russ Solomon, the founder of the worldwide music store empire Tower Records, died Sunday. He was 92.

According to the Sacramento Bee, Solomon was drinking whiskey and watching the 90th Academy Awards Sunday evening when he suffered a heart attack and died.

"Ironically, he was giving his opinion of what someone was wearing that he thought was ugly, then asked (his wife) Patti to refill his whisky," Solomon's son, Michael, told the Bee.

Solomon founded the transformative chain in 1960, changing the way people buy and sell music for decades.

Before going out of business in 2006, the Sacramento-based music chain had established stores in 20 countries around the world, including Ireland, South Korea, Israel and the Philippines.