George Martin, the music industry legend who helped craft the sound of The Beatles and worked on nearly every official recording, died on Tuesday night at the age of 90.
The music producer died “peacefully at home” in England, according to C A Management which represents the producer “In a career that spanned seven decades he was recognized globally as one of music’s most creative talents and a gentleman to the end. The family ask that their privacy be respected at this time.”
Beatles drummer Ring Starr announced the news on Twitter. For fellow Beatle Paul McCartney, Martin was “like a second father to me.”
“I have so many wonderful memories of this great man that will be with me forever,” he said. “He was a true gentleman… He guided the career of The Beatles with such skill and good humour that he became a true friend to me and my family. If anyone earned the title of the fifth Beatle it was George.”
Martin produced 30 number one singles in the U.K. and 23 chart-topping singles in the U.S., having worked with a wide range of high-profile acts over a career that spanned decades, including Peter Sellers, America, Cheap Trick, Jeff Beck and Celine Dion. But his fame and influence are build upon his work with the Beatles, who Martin helped ascend the pop culture throne with his musical expertise, compelling arrangements and experimentation.
“When I first met the Beatles in 1962, I didn’t think much of their songs at all,” he told JazzWax.com. “But they learned so quickly how to write a hit. They were like plants in a hothouse. They grew incredibly fast.”
