Irwin Steinberg | Record label cofounder, 94

Irwin Steinberg, 94, a cofounder of Mercury Records and an innovator in the digital music industry, died Dec. 29 at his home in Brattleboro, Vt., publicist Scott Gorenstein said.

A Chicago native, Mr. Steinberg graduated from the University of Chicago and served in the Air Corps before beginning his career in the music business.

After starting Mercury Records and serving at its helm for several years, he became chairman and chief executive of Polygram Records, where he remained for more than 30 years.

He later taught courses on the music business at Columbia College of the Arts in Chicago and was a consultant to numerous digital music enterprises, including MusicMaker. - AP