Legendary US music producer Phil Ramone dies at 72

LOS ANGELES (Xinhua) - Legendary US music producer Phil Ramone, who had worked with a starry drove of music icons around the globe, died in a New York hospital Saturday. He was 72.

"Our industry has lost an immense talent and a true visionary and genius, and The Academy has lost a very dear and close friend, " The Recording Academy, an American professional organization of musicians, producers and recording engineers which is best known for its Grammys Awards in honoring music accomplishments, said in a prepared statement.

The violin prodigy-turned music producer, known as "The Pope of Pop," won 14 Grammys and 33 nominations working with superstars, including Frank Sinatra, Billy Joel and Luciano Pavarotti during his career.

Born in South Africa on Jan. 5, 1941, Ramone was trained at the Juilliard School in New York as a violinist and became an accomplished performer and composer. Fascinated with the technical area of the music, Ramone turned his energy to the engineering and productions and became an engineer and acoustics expert.

He co- founded A & R Recording, Inc. in New York in 1958, and worked with such big names including Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan and Madonna, helping with recording and producing some of the most iconic tunes and albums in the world.

Ramone's credits included Barbara Streisand's 1967 live "A Happening in Central Park," Paul & Linda McCartney's "Ram (1971)," Billy Joel's "The Stranger (1977)," and Frank Sinatra's last-gasp "Duets (1993)."

He was also believed to have played an important role in advancing technological areas of the music industry, including the compact disc and surround sound.