Sir George Martin

Knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 1996, and winner of both the Grammy Lifetime Achievement and Novello Awards, producer, arranger, composer, and author Sir George Martin has had an immeasurable impact and influence on music and popular culture.

In a global millennium poll taken in 1999 of music critics by USA Today, Sir George Martin was named the most successful and influential producer of the 20th Century. Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Sir George Martin is also listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most successful producer ever, with more than fifty #1 hit records over five decades in America and Great Britain alone. The recordings he has produced have collectively sold more than one billion units, worldwide.

His award winning work across every conceivable recording genre and style is unmatched. It includes: classical, comedy, jazz, pop, country, R&B, rock & roll, film scores, television scores and more; producing the longest run of #1 hits songs in history - more than 36 years.

As a producer, arranger and composer, his work has influenced, helped propel and set standards for more popular music and comedy artists than anyone else before or since. Of the hundreds of major artists with whom he has worked, a sampling includes: Paul McCartney, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, Celine Dion, Brian Wilson, Billy Joel, Stan Getz, Ella Fitzgerald, Cleo Laine, John McLaughlin, Sting, Michael Jackson, the Bee Gees, Neil Sedaka, Shirley Bassey, Joni Mitchell, Phil Collins, Kenny Rogers, Dire Straits, America, Earth Wind & Fire, Aerosmith, The Who, Cheap Trick, Carly Simon, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Buffett, Bon Jovi, Cher, Mark Knopfler, Paul Winter, Jimmy Webb, Dudley Moore, Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, Peter Sellers, Goldie Hawn...the list goes on.

As mentor and creative collaborator, Sir George Martin helped steward and bring to the world the most original, successful and influential music phenomenon in popular music history - the Beatles.

Best known as the Beatles producer, he signed the Beatles and subsequently produced and arranged nearly all of the Beatles' records - even playing on many of the most memorable Lennon/McCartney songs.

In 1999, The New York Times commented, “Martins' talents shaped the Beatles' albums and their extraordinary legacy. Sir George and the Beatles changed music and popular culture forever."

A classically trained arranger and composer, Sir George Martin has conducted many of the great orchestras throughout the world. Among numerous film, television and stage projects, he has composed, arranged and/or produced the scores for the Tony Award winning Broadway musical Tommy, the Beatles animated feature, Yellow Submarine, and two Academy Award nominated films: the Beatles’ A Hard Days Night and the James Bond film Live and Let Die.

In 1997, after having overseen and provided the artistic direction to the much acclaimed Beatles Anthology series and his own final album, In My Life, Sir George Martin produced his final recording. After nearly four decades, the last song he produced became the biggest selling recording of all time with global sales exceeding 40 million units. The song was Elton John’s Candle in the Wind Princess Diana Tribute.

In addition to numerous highly acclaimed television documentary projects including The Making of Sergeant Pepper and The Rhythm of Life, Sir George Martin has been appearing throughout the United States and Europe in a multi-media presentation of The Making of Sergeant Pepper to sell-out crowds in which he takes audiences on a magical mystery tour, looking behind the scenes at the technical and creative process which resulted in the record he produced and arranged for the Beatles. It is considered by many critics to be the most important, influential and technically innovative recording in popular music history. Released in 1967, “Sergeant Pepper” remains the biggest selling record in Britain.

In November 2000, “1”, a collection of 27 #1 Beatles songs produced by Sir George Martin was released. In less than four months it became the biggest selling recording ever with more than 30 million units sold worldwide. The recording also set a world record by reaching #1 on the music charts in 27 countries, simultaneously.

In 2001, EMI released a six CD box-set titled Produced by George Martin; a collection of songs charting popular music over the last fifty years.

His numerous books include: With A Little Help From My Friends, All You Need is Ears and Making Music.

Given a creative collaboration spanning more than 35 years, perhaps no one can speak with more authority about Sir George Martin than Paul McCartney. When asked in a 1998 interview to comment on George and George’s influence on him, he said, “George is the man of the year, the man of the hour, the man of the minute, the man for me.”

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