Canadian Music Figure. He is best remembered as the founder of Sam the Record Man, the Canadian record store chain. He was raised in the Jewish enclave known as Kensington Market in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He attended high school at Harbord Collegiate Institute and in 1937 began selling records in his brother Sidney’s store, Sniderman Radio Sales and Service. In 1959 he opened his first store and ten years later he started franchising the store, with 130 locations across Canada and was a leading music retailer. In October 1976 he was invested into the Order of Canada for his founding of the Recordings Archive Library at the University of Toronto (now the largest of its kind in Canada) and for his constant support of Canadian talent and concern for the preservation of Canadian cultural heritage. In 1997 he was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame. He retired in 2000 and turned over ownership of his business to his children. The flagship Toronto store that bore his name closed in 2007 and its distinctive iconic neon signs was declared a heritage site by the city. He remained an active participant in the Canadian music industry until his death at the age of 92. (bio by: William Bjornstad)