Legendary producer, Sir George Martin, who was the man behind most of The Beatles era-defining recordings, has died aged 90. Sir George, who was the producer and arranger for the band, was a British treasure who signed The Beatles to a label contract when no one else would. He produced virtually all their songs and introduced arrangements into Yesterday and A Day in the Life.
Beatles drummer Ringo Starr shared the news on Twitter. He said: 'God bless George Martin peace and love to Judy and his family love Ringo and Barbara George will be missed.' A Universal Music Group spokesperson confirmed Sir George's death, but details are not yet clear.
Sir George was behind 23 No. 1 singles in the US and 30 in the UK. The producer-composer won five Grammys and picked up an Academy Award nomination for best music, scoring of music, adaptation or treatment for the Beatles' 1964 film A Hard Day's Night. He was a producer, executive, arranger, musician and British knight who was searching for a rock act when he met the group's manager Brian Epstein in 1962, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
At that point, other British labels had passed on signing the group, which consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Pete Best. Sir George, often called 'the Fifth Beatle', gave the Beatles their first recording contract and produced virtually all of their music. He was born in London on January 3,1926, and after leaving the Navy in 1947, he studied piano and oboe.
In the 1950s, he recorded jazz, lounge, and comedy records for Parlophone, where he eventually became head of A&R. Sir George won several Grammy Awards over the years. For The Beatles' first U.S. single, 'Please Please Me,' in November 1962, he convinced the boys to speed up the tempo, making it a hit. 'Gentlemen, you have just made your first No. 1 record,' he memorably told them from the control room, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Sir George also served as The Beatles' arranger and suggested strings be added to 'Yesterday,' which would become one of the most covered songs of all time. He also produced albums for Gerry and The Pacemakers, Kenny Rogers, Cheap Trick and Celine Dion. And in 1997, he produced Elton John's new version of Candle In The Wind to honor the late Princess Diana. It became one of the best selling singles of all time. John Lennon said in 1971: 'George Martin made us what we were in the studio. 'He helped us develop a language to talk to other musicians.'
Sir George was knighted in 1996 and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999. In 2011, Sir George said of the Beatles: 'I think they're so damn good they'll be with us for generations, into the middle of the next century. 'They'll be there in 100 years, too. But I won't be', according Rolling Stone.
Sir George also wrote three books, including his 1979 autobiography, All You Need is Love, co-written with Jeremy Hornsby. Also in 2011, he produced a documentary called Produced by George Martin, which gained worldwide acclaim. No details about his death have been released. He is survived by his children Giles, Alexis, Gregory and Lucy.
Source: MailOnline
