Phil Ramone facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Phil Ramone
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Ramone in 2009
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Philip Rabinowitz |
| Born | January 5, 1934 South Africa |
| Origin | Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Died | March 30, 2013 (aged 79) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Recording engineer, record producer, music executive, composer, songwriter, performer |
| Instruments | Violin |
| Years active | 1958–2013 |
| Labels | A & R Recording, Columbia, Warner Bros., Verve, Hear Music, Casablanca |
| Associated acts | Billy Joel |
Phil Ramone (born Philip Rabinowitz, January 5, 1934 – March 30, 2013) was a famous American music producer and sound engineer. He was born in South Africa.
In 1958, he helped start a recording studio called A & R Recording, Inc. This studio became very successful. Billboard magazine called him "legendary." The BBC said he was a "CD pioneer" because he helped create the first compact discs.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Talent
Phil Ramone grew up in Brooklyn, New York. When he was a child in South Africa, he was a "musical prodigy." This means he was extremely talented at music from a very young age.
He started playing the violin when he was just three years old. By age 10, he even performed for Princess Elizabeth! Later, in the 1940s, he studied classical violin at the famous Juilliard School. He opened his own recording studio before he turned 20.
A Career in Music Production
Starting A & R Recording
In 1959, Ramone opened his own recording studio, A & R Recording. He worked with Bill Schwartau, who was the chief engineer.
At the studio, Phil quickly became known for his excellent sound engineering skills. He was also known for using new and exciting technology. He produced music for many, many famous artists. These include Burt Bacharach, Ray Charles, Celine Dion, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Madonna, Paul Simon, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, and Stevie Wonder. He even recorded Marilyn Monroe singing "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" to John F. Kennedy.
Ramone first worked with jazz artists, like John Coltrane. He won his first Grammy award in 1965 for engineering the Getz/Gilberto album. Later, he started working with folk-rock, pop-rock, and R&B artists. He produced Billy Joel's hit album The Stranger in 1977. This started a long and successful partnership with Billy Joel. In 1993, he produced Duets, which was a big comeback album for Frank Sinatra.
New Technologies in Music
Phil Ramone was a founding member of META, which stands for the Music & Engineering Technology Alliance. He was always interested in new ways to make music sound better.
He played a big part in the history of the compact disc (CD). On October 1, 1982, the world's first commercially sold CD was released in Japan. It was Billy Joel's album 52nd Street, which Ramone produced. This happened at the same time Sony released its first CD player.
Ramone also helped introduce "optical surround sound" for movies. This made movie sound much more immersive. He wrote a book called Making Records: The Scenes Behind the Music, which came out in 2007.
Other Projects and Activities
Besides producing music, Phil Ramone worked on many concerts, films, Broadway shows, and TV productions. Some of these include the films A Star Is Born and Flashdance. He also worked on the concert Simon and Garfunkel: The Concert In Central Park.
Phil Ramone cared a lot about music education. He was part of the boards for the National Mentoring Partnership and the Berklee College of Music.
Later Career
In 2008, Columbia Records released The Stranger 30th Anniversary. This special box set included interviews with Ramone and a new version of the 1977 Billy Joel album.
In 2011, Ramone worked with George Michael on his Symphonica Tour. He also produced songs for Lalah Hathaway's album Where It All Begins. One of his last projects was producing the holiday album Chicago XXXIII: O Christmas Three for the band Chicago in 2011.
Personal Life
Phil Ramone was married to Karen Ichiuji-Ramone. They had one son together. He also had two sons from an earlier marriage.
Death
Phil Ramone passed away on March 30, 2013, at the age of 79. He had been in the hospital for a serious health issue.
Awards and Recognition
Phil Ramone was nominated for 34 Grammy awards during his career. He won 14 of them! A Grammy Award is a very important award given for achievements in the music industry. In 2005, he received a special Technical Grammy Award for his amazing contributions to recording technology over his lifetime.
- Grammys
- 1965 – Best Engineered Recording (non classical), for Getz/Gilberto
- 1970 – Best Musical Show Album for producing Promises, Promises
- 1976 – Album of the Year for producing Still Crazy After All These Years
- 1979 – Record of the Year for producing "Just the Way You Are"
- 1980 – Album of the Year for producing 52nd Street
- 1981 – Producer of the Year (non classical)
- 1984 – Best Album Of Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special, for Flashdance
- 1995 – Best Musical Show Album for producing Passion
- 2003 – Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, for producing "Playin' With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues"
- 2005 – Album of the Year and Best Surround Sound Album for producing Genius Loves Company
- 2006 – Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for producing The Art of Romance
- 2007 – Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for producing Duets: An American Classic
- 2012 – Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for producing Duets II
- Other Awards
- Ramone won an Emmy Award in 1973. This was for his work as a sound mixer on a TV tribute to Duke Ellington.
- In 1997, he received the American Eagle Award from the National Music Council.
- The Audio Engineering Society gave him a Fellowship in 2007.
- Honorary Degrees
Several colleges gave Phil Ramone honorary degrees. These include:
- Five Towns College
- Berklee College of Music
- Skidmore College
He was also a member of the board of trustees at Berklee College of Music.
See also
In Spanish: Phil Ramone para niños
