LOS ANGELES, March 30 (Reuters) – Phil Ramone, a versatile
music producer who won 14 Grammy Awards and worked with a
glittering roster of stars like Billy Joel, Tony Bennett, Ray
Charles and Paul Simon, died in Manhattan on Saturday, the New
York Times reported. He was 79.
Ramone’s son, Matthew, confirmed the death to the newspaper
but did not release a cause.
Born in South Africa, Ramone was raised in Brooklyn, New
York. In the late 1950s he co-founded an independent studio
called A&R; Recording in New York.
His first Grammy was for his sound engineering on the 1964
jazz-bossa nova album “Getz/Gilberto” by Stan Getz and Joao
Gilberto.
He went on to win a total of 14 Grammy Awards, including
album of the year honors for producing Paul Simon’s top-selling
1975 release “Still Crazy After All These Years” and Ray
Charles’ 2004 duets album “Genius Loves Company.”
Tony Bennett, whose series of “duets” albums were produced
by Ramone, said in a statement that Ramone was a “very gifted
musician and producer.”
“It was a joy to have him work with me in the recording
studio on so many projects, as he had a wonderful sense of humor
and a deep love of music,” Bennett said.
Neil Portnow, president and chief executive of the National
Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, said in a statement
Ramone had made “countless significant contributions” to the
music industry.
“Our industry has lost an immense talent and a true
visionary and genius, and The Academy has lost a very dear and
close friend,” he said. “Everyone who encountered Phil came away
a better person for it, professionally or personally.”
Ramone was an early advocate of the compact disc. He played
a key role in the introduction of the CD when the 1978 Billy
Joel album “52nd Street,” which Ramone had produced, was
re-released in 1982 as the first commercially available album on
CD.
He showed a passion for all forms of entertainment, applying
his musical talents to projects in film, theater and television.
He worked as a music supervisor on the popular 1983 film
“Flashdance” and the 1985 dance movie “White Nights.”
The Times reported that, although some media sources had
said he was 72, public records and his family confirmed that
Ramone was 79.
Ramone was not associated with the punk band The Ramones,
whose members all adopted pseudonyms using the surname Ramone.
(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Tim Gaynor and
Philip Barbara)
