Phil Ramone

Philip Rabinowitz (January 5, 1934 and the BBC as a "CD pioneer".

Early life Ramone was born in South Africa and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. As a child in South Africa, Ramone was a musical prodigy, beginning to play the violin at age three and performing for Princess Elizabeth at age 10. In the late 1940s, he trained as a classical violinist at the Juilliard School, where one of his classmates was Phil Woods. Ramone opened his own recording studio before he was 20.

Professional career

A & R Recording

In 1959, Ramone co-founded an independent New York City recording studio, A & R Recording, with business partner Jack Arnold. In the studio he quickly gained a reputation as a good sound engineer and music producer, in particular for his use of innovative technology. Among the performers whose music Ramone produced are Burt Bacharach, the Band, Bono, Laura Branigan, Ray Charles, Karen Carpenter, Chicago, Peter Cincotti, Natalie Cole, Celine Dion, Bob Dylan, Sheena Easton, Melissa Errico, Gloria Estefan, Aretha Franklin, Debbie Gibson, Clay Aiken, the Guess Who, Heatwave, Billie Hughes, Billy Joel, Elton John, Quincy Jones, Patricia Kaas, B.B. King, Lazarus, Julian Lennon, Shelby Lynne, Madonna, Barry Manilow, Richard Marx, Paul McCartney, George Michael, Cyndi Lauper, Liza Minnelli, Anne Murray, Olivia Newton-John, Sinéad O'Connor, Fito Páez, Luciano Pavarotti (including the Pavarotti and Friends Charity Concerts in Modena, Italy), Peter, Paul and Mary, June Pointer, André Previn, Jennifer Rush, Diane Schuur, Jon Secada, Michael Sembello, Carly Simon, Paul Simon, Frank Sinatra, Phoebe Snow, Dusty Springfield, Rod Stewart, Barbra Streisand, James Taylor, Frankie Valli, Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, and Nikki Yanofsky. He also is credited with having recorded Marilyn Monroe's version of "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" to John F. Kennedy.

In 1972, management of A & R included Robert Gerics (general manager and studio manager), Nick Diminno (studio manager), and Irving Joel (chief engineer). The studios were located at 799 7th Avenue and 322 West 48th Street.

Technical innovations Ramone was a founding member of META (the Music & Engineering Technology Alliance).

October 1, , marked the anniversary of the world's first commercially marketed compact disc. On that date in 1982, CBS/Sony released a digital compact disc of Billy Joel's 52nd Street in Japan, alongside Sony's CD player CDP-101.

Ramone introduced optical surround sound for movies. The play was directed by Charles Messina and co-produced by Sonny Grosso. It premiered at The Tilles Center in Greenvale, New York.

Other professional activities In addition to producing music, Ramone had numerous concert, film, Broadway, and television productions to his credit that include A Star Is Born, Walkabout, August Rush, Beyond the Sea, Flashdance, Ghostbusters, Little Shop of Horrors, Midnight Cowboy, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Passion, Seussical, Simon and Garfunkel: The Concert In Central Park, Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards, The Score, VH1/BBC Party at the Palace: Queen’s Jubilee Concert and The Good Thief. The following summer, Ramone produced Gershwin Across America, a tribute album to the music of George and Ira Gershwin. The album features Jewel, Jason Mraz, Darius Rucker, and Paul Simon. In 2011, Ramone worked with George Michael, during his 2011 Symphonica Tour. Ramone had two sons from a prior marriage.

Death Ramone was hospitalized in late February 2013 with an aortic aneurysm, and died on March 30, 2013, from complications involving the surgery related to it, at New York Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan. He was aged 79.

Awards Grammy Award Ramone was nominated for 34 Grammy Awards, winning 14 including a Technical Grammy Award in 2005 for a lifetime of innovative contributions to the recording industry. 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 also won an Emmy Award in 1973 as the sound mixer for "Duke Ellington...We Love You Madly", a tribute to Duke Ellington broadcast on CBS.

Honorary degrees and collegiate appointments Ramone was awarded honorary degrees by: Five Towns College Berklee College of Music Skidmore College

Ramone was a member of Berklee's board of trustees.