NEW YORK, NY- APRIL 7, 2010 – Hal David, Chairman/CEO of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, announced today that Phil Ramone will be the 2010 recipient of the Howie Richmond Hitmaker Award at the Annual Awards dinner slated for Thursday, June 17 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.
“Phil Ramone represents the perfect choice as a recipient of our Howie Richmond Hitmaker Award,” commented Songwriters Hall of Fame Chairman/CEO Hal David. “We are looking forward to applauding his many varied accomplishments that have, both past and presently, influenced the craft and careers of music history’s finest artists.”
Phil Ramone is 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 is Ramone actively involved in the music industry, but he also has 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 is 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 is 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.
Phil Ramone is currently working on the first full-album release of Canadian jazz artist Nikki Yanofsky, which will be release in 2010.
The Howie Richmond Hitmaker Award, named after one of SHOF’s distinguished founders, is specifically tailored for artists or “star makers” in the music industry who have been responsible for a substantial number of hit songs for an extended period, and who recognize the importance of songs and their writers. Examples of previous Hitmaker Award recipients include Clive Davis, Garth Brooks, Chuck Berry, Whitney Houston, Michael Bolton, Gloria Estefan, Diana Ross and Sir Tom Jones.
Inductees at this year’s event include Leonard Cohen, Jackie DeShannon, David Foster, Johnny Mandel and Earth, Wind & Fire’s Maurice White, Philip Bailey, Verdine White, Larry Dunn and Al McKay. The prestigious Johnny Mercer Award will be present to Phil Collins.