Russ Solomon, an American entrepreneur and art collector whose biggest claim to fame was being the founder of the worldwide music store empire, Tower Records, has passed away at the age of 92. With his official date of death falling on March 4, 2018, he death had been confirmed by his son, Michael Solomon.
What happened?
Russ passed away at his home in Sacramento, California, while watching the 90th Academy Awards. According to Yahoo, his son, Michael, gave the following description of his final moments in the following statement:
“Ironically, he was giving his opinion of what someone was wearing that he thought was ugly, then asked (his wife) Patti to to refill his whisky.”
Growing up during the Great Depression, Russ developed his first music store by converting his father’s Tower Cut Rate Drug Store. Eventually creating the Sacramento-based Tower Records, the company went bankrupt in 2006. Despite the setback, he continued working, with plans to create a new store. Later in life, Russ was the subject of the 2015 documentary All Things Must Pass, which detailed his life.
Upon the news of his passing, San Franciso Weekly published the following passage in his honor:
“Tower Records has been gone for more than a decade, but virtually everyone over 25 remembers browsing through CD racks in the mall. Having been founded in Sacramento in 1960, Tower expanded to San Francisco eight years later, opening up in a former grocery store in North Beach after nursing a hangover at a nearby diner. At its peak, it was the original megastore, with international locations — including one in the Castro, in a spot that later housed now-defunct locations of CVS and Radio Shack. “
There are currently no plans to hold a funeral or memorial. Instead, Michael confirmed that the family will host a large, private party for friends.
What was Russ Solomon’s official cause of death?
According to the San Franciso Chronicle, Russ Solomon’s official cause of death was a heart attack, as confirmed by his son.