Al Schmitt
Al Schmitt (born April 17, 1930 as Albert Harry Schmitt in Brooklyn , † April 26, 2021 ) was an American sound engineer and music producer .
life and career
Schmitt grew up as the eldest of four children in New York and lived in simple circumstances in Brooklyn. He first completed his military service in the US Navy , began training at Apex Recording Studios in New York in 1949 and, due to the atmosphere there was not very friendly to Germany during the war, temporarily called himself Al Smith. He soon became Tom Dowd's assistant , represented him if necessary and came among other things. in contact with Duke Ellington . After Apex closed, he worked at various other studios, mainly recording orchestral music .
In 1958 Schmitt moved to Los Angeles and worked in Hollywood primarily as a staff engineer; In 1963 he finally went to RCA . Notable productions emerged during this time with, for example, Duane Eddy , Henry Mancini , Sam Cooke , Hugo Montenegro and Elmer Bernstein .
Schmitt left RCA in 1963 to continue working as a freelance producer. In the 1960s he produced albums for West Coast musicians such as Jefferson Airplane ( Crown of Creation , 1968), Jackson Browne and Neil Young , mostly in Capitol Studios . In the 1970s, Willy DeVille and Dr. John added, later also Ray Charles , Diana Krall , Natalie Cole , Steely Dan , Toto as well as Madonna and Michael Jackson .
In the course of his life, Schmitt participated in over a thousand productions.
Private
Al Schmitt was largely covered in his private life. He was married to Lisa Schmitt. The couple had five children, eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Schmitt died unexpectedly a few days after his 91st birthday.
Awards
- Schmitt has been nominated many times for the Grammy Awards , which he has won twenty times, including the production of Toto IV .
- Emmy Award : a 2014 nomination for a Beatles remix.
- In 2014 Schmitt received an honorary doctorate from the Berklee School of Music .
Web links
- Al Schmitt in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Al Schmitt at Discogs
- Own website
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Joe Lynch: Legendary Recording Engineer Al Schmitt Dies at 91. In: Billboard , April 27, 2021.
- ^ Rest in Peace Al Schmitt, (20x Grammy-Winning) Recording Engineer / Producer: 1930–2021. In: Rock Cellar Magazine , April 27, 2021.
- ^ Grammy Awards
- ↑ Emmy nomination
- ^ Honorary Doctorate from Berklee School of Musiv
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Schmitt, Al |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Schmitt, Albert Harry |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American sound engineer and record producer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 17, 1930 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Brooklyn |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 26, 2021 |