January, 1934 - March, 2013
Phil Ramone was one of the most well respected and lauded music producers in the industry, with 34 Grammy nominations, 14 Grammy Awards, an Emmy and numerous awards and honors to his credit. Working with a variety of musicians from country to pop stars, Ramone created some of today’s best hit songs, such as: Billy Joel’s “Tell Her About It,” “Uptown Girl” and “Modern Woman,” “Late In The Evening” (Paul Simon), “Too Late for Goodbyes” (Julian Lennon) and many more. He has worked with many notable artists including Bono, Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Quincy Jones, BB King, Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, Madonna, Sting, Bruce Springsteen and James Taylor, to name a few.
Phil Ramone began his career as a violinist at The Julliard School. In 1959, Ramone established an independent recording studio, A&R Recording, which allowed him to delve into the technology behind record making. Recognized for his advances in this field, Ramone ardently supported the use of the compact disc, digital video disc, hi-definition recording and surround sound. Appropriately, the first album ever pressed to CD was Billy Joel’s 52nd Street, which was a Phil Ramone production. In 2004, he was a recipient of the first Grammy given for Best Surround Sound Album for Ray Charles’ Genius Loves Company.
Not only was Ramone actively involved in the music industry, but he also had a great passion for concert, film, Broadway and television production. His work is included in projects such as: Flashdance, Ghostbusters, Midnight Cowboy, Simon and Garfunkel: The Concert In Central Park, The Score, VH1/BBC Queen’s Jubilee Party at the Palace, Dave Grusin Presents West Side Story and The Good Thief.
From his involvement in music and other forms of entertainment, Ramone joined various groups and prestigious organizations to help further the wealth of music. He was the Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Trustees of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), a Co-Chairman of the Producers and Engineers Wing, a board member of the National Mentoring Partnership for music education, a member of the Board of Directors of the Songwriters Hall Of Fame and a member of the National Recording Preservation Board of the Library of Congress. He was also a founding member of META (The Music & Engineering Technology Alliance) and former Trustee of the MusiCares Foundation having produced its annual pre-Grammy tribute.