Bob Ezrin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bob Ezrin
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Robert Alan Ezrin |
| Born | March 25, 1949 |
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
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| Years active | 1970–present |
| Associated acts | Kiss, Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper, Hanoi Rocks, Phish, Deep Purple, David Gilmour, The Kings |
Robert Alan Ezrin (born March 25, 1949) is a famous Canadian music producer and keyboardist. He is known for working with many big names in music. Some of these include Lou Reed, Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, Kiss, Pink Floyd, and Deep Purple.
Bob Ezrin has been working in music for over 50 years! He has won three Juno Awards, which are like the Canadian Grammys. In 2022, he was given a special honor called the Officer of the Order of Canada. This is one of the highest awards a civilian can get in Canada.
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Early life
Bob Ezrin was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This was on March 25, 1949. He grew up in the Forest Hill area of Toronto.
Music and production career
Bob Ezrin is a very busy person in the music world. He works as a record producer, an arranger, and a songwriter. A record producer helps bands and singers make their music sound great. They guide the recording process and help shape the final song. An arranger helps decide which instruments play what parts. A songwriter helps create the music and lyrics.
Ezrin has worked with many famous artists. These include Pink Floyd, Phish, Alice Cooper, KISS, Deep Purple, and Peter Gabriel. He also helped record the very first demo songs for the band Max Webster.
Alice Cooper, a famous rock star, once called Ezrin "our George Martin". George Martin was the legendary producer for The Beatles. This shows how important Ezrin was to Alice Cooper's music. Ezrin started working with Alice Cooper in 1971. He helped produce hit albums like Billion Dollar Babies and School's Out. These albums made Alice Cooper a huge star. Ezrin didn't just produce; he also helped write songs and played instruments.
Ezrin also produced the very popular KISS album Destroyer in 1976. He even helped write and played piano on their famous song "Beth". He worked on two more albums with KISS. He is still good friends with the band members today.
Bob Ezrin has worked with the legendary band Pink Floyd many times. He helped produce their famous albums The Wall, A Momentary Lapse of Reason, and The Division Bell. He also helped write some of their songs.
In 2009, Ezrin helped put together a big concert. It was at Madison Square Garden to celebrate musician Pete Seeger's 90th birthday. Many famous artists performed, like Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp. Ezrin also helped produce the TV show of the concert.
Since 2010, Ezrin has continued to work on many projects. He worked with Peter Gabriel and Deep Purple. He also reunited with Alice Cooper for his album Welcome 2 My Nightmare. In 2014, he worked with the band Phish on their album Fuego. He also produced Sì for Andrea Bocelli. This album became number one in both the UK and USA.
Ezrin also helped produce a big live show. It was for the reopening of the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. The show featured famous bands like Green Day and U2.
Other ventures
Besides music, Bob Ezrin has been involved in many other interesting projects.
Entrepreneurship
In 1993, Ezrin helped start a computer software company. It was called 7th Level. This company made fun and educational games on CD-ROMs. They even made games based on Monty Python.
Later, in 1999, he co-founded Enigma Digital. This company provided internet radio. It was later sold to Clear Channel. Ezrin also helped start Wow Unlimited Media.
In 2009, Ezrin helped create the Nimbus School of Recording Arts in Vancouver. This school teaches new engineers and producers how to make music. Ezrin wanted to give students hands-on experience.
Philanthropy
Bob Ezrin cares a lot about music education. He is on the board of the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation. This group helps US schools by giving them musical instruments. He also supports MusiCounts, which does similar work for Canadian schools.
He also co-founded Music Rising with The Edge from U2. This project helps keep music alive in the Gulf Coast region. This area was badly damaged by hurricanes in 2005.
In 2010, Ezrin helped organize Young Artists for Haiti. This group of 50 Canadian artists recorded a song. It was a special version of K'naan's "Wavin' Flag". They did this to raise money for victims of the Haiti earthquake. The project raised over $2 million for charities.
Ezrin is also involved with the Canadian Journalism Foundation. This group works to support excellent journalism.
Film and television
Bob Ezrin has also worked in film and television. He has appeared in documentaries about music. He also helped create live events and TV shows. In 2012, he was in a documentary called Artifact. This film was about the music business.
He is also a co-producer for a children's music TV show. It is called Ukulele U and stars Melanie Doane.
Honour and recognition
Bob Ezrin has received many awards for his work. In 2004, he was added to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. In 2006, he joined the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame.
In 2011, Ezrin and Young Artists for Haiti won a Juno Award for "Single of the Year". In 2013, he received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto. This is a special honor for famous Canadians.
In late 2022, Ezrin was named an Officer of the Order of Canada. This was for his amazing work in music and entertainment. It also recognized his support for music education and journalism.
Personal life
Bob Ezrin is married to Janet Ezrin.
See also
In Spanish: Bob Ezrin para niños
- Album era
- Music of Canada
- Canadian Music Hall of Fame
