Arif Mardin was a creative giant in an industry too competitive for lesser souls to succeed. He was the arranger and producer behind the successes of many top-hit artists who have become household names in the past Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler, Hall & Oates, Chaka Khan, Manhattan Transfer, Modern Jazz Quartet, Bee Gees, Barbra Streisand, Patti Labelle, Queen, Judy Collins, Phil Collins, Roberta Flack, Willie Nelson, Dusty Springfield, and Norah Jones. Mardin, who had pancreatic cancer and passed away in New York on June 25, 2006, was born in Istanbul, Turkey. His live turned around completely in 1956 when he met the jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie in Istanbul. He was so fired up by love of jazz and American music that he ended up in Boston, as a student at the Berklee College of Music. He had the distinction of becoming the first recipient of the prestigious Quincy Jones Scholarship. Later on joining Nasuhi Ertegun, the Turkish-born owner of the Atlantic Records, Mardin never looked back and soon became a regular subscriber to Grammy Awards. Mardin won 12 Grammies including Album of the Year 1979, 2003; Best Album Notes 1993; Best Jazz Vocal Album 2004; Best Musical Show Album 1996; Best Pop Vocal Album 2003; Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices 1984 (with Chaka Khan); Producer of the Year, Non-Classical 1976, 2003; Record of the Year 1990, 2003; and Trustees Award 2002. Mardin produced 40 gold and platinum albums. Hell be missed by all music lovers around the world. May he rest in peace. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
