Sam Goody; Founded Record Store Chain

Sam Goody, an entrepreneur who made millions selling records and tapes from a nationwide chain of stores bearing his name, has died. He was 87.

Goody, who lived in Woodmere, N.Y., died Thursday of heart failure at a Queens hospital.

Born Samuel Gutowitz and nicknamed “Goody” as a child, he started out as a businessman selling toys and novelties. In 1938, after a customer asked if he had any records, he began selling 10-inch, 78 r.p.m. records.

His business took off after World War II, when long-playing 12-inch records became popular.

He opened his flagship store on West 49th Street in Manhattan. Thousands of customers flocked each day to Sam Goody’s, which stocked more than 30,000 records.

Goody sold the chain in 1978 to Primerica Corp., which merged it with Musicland record stores. Now the nation’s largest, the chain has 320 stores nationwide, including about 90 in Southern California.

Goody is survived by his wife, Sadie, two sons and two daughters.