Eddie Van Halen Remembered

The world learned today of the passing of guitar great Eddie Van Halen. He was only 65. A flood of well-deserved tributes have come from his loved ones as well as countless fellow musical greats and fans. Former band mate Sammy Hagar was speaking for millions of us when he described himself as "heartbroken and speechless" in the wake of the news announced earlier today...Robert Kinsler

"40 years ago my life changed forever when I met you. You gave me the one true light in my life, our son, Wolfgang. Through all your challenging treatments for lung cancer, you kept your gorgeous spirit and that impish grin. I'm so grateful Wolfie and I were able to hold you in your last moments. I will see you in our next life my love."

Valerie Bertinelli

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has issued the following statement for the passing of 2007 Inductee Eddie Van Halen.

 

“Inductee Eddie Van Halen forever changed the vocabulary of the electric guitar. With blistering speed, control, and melodic feel, he perfected the art of shredding, unleashing two-handed finger tapping, dramatic whammy-bar moves, and other astonishing never-before-seen techniques. Innovative, like his hero Les Paul, Eddie reimagined the sonic possibilities of the guitar and became an inspiration for an entire generation of musicians who worshiped his sound and style. His band Van Halen kicked the American hard rock scene into high gear in the late Seventies, became rock heroes on MTV in the Eighties, and gave rise to a steady stream of shredders and trailblazers ever since.”

-Greg Harris, President & CEO of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

 

Courtesy of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, watch Van Halen’s 2007 Induction speech and performance of “Why Can’t This Be Love” and Induction by Velvet Revolver at https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/van-halen, where you can also find Van Halen’s bio and read their official Induction program essay.

 

 

Eddie Van Halen is represented inside the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio:

• Hall of Fame Gallery (L3): signature wall
• Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock & Roll (L0 & L6): Including his well-known Frankenstein guitar, Wolfgang guitars, rigs, and more
• The Garage (L2)

 

The Recording Academy issued the following statement:

"During his legendary career, GRAMMY^® Award winner Eddie Van Halen contributed to some of the world's most iconic music. His explosive guitar playing and approach to the musical process solidified him as an undeniable force in his field and forever established his place as a true guitar hero. The world is lucky to have witnessed Eddie's genius as a guitarist, and we know he will influence and shape rock music indefinitely."
 
Harvey Mason jr.
Chair & Interim President/CEO
Recording Academy 

"What a Long Great Trip Its Been..."

David Lee Roth (via Twitter)

 

"So saddened to hear of Eddie Van Halen's passing. I stood in awe and complete wonderment of Eddie's immense talent and amazing guitar ability. One of the greatest rockers ever and I will miss him."

John Fogerty (via Twitter)

From left, Joe Perry, Eddie Van
Halen and Steve Perry.
Photo courtesy of Aerosmith

"Rest In Peace @eddievanhalen You will be missed! #Legend"

Aerosmith (via Twitter) 

"I just heard about Eddie Van Halen and I feel terrible about it. Eddie was such a great guitarist and I remember how big Van Halen was, especially here in L.A. Love and Mercy to Eddie's family & friends."

Brian Wilson (via Twitter)

 

“Eddie was a one of a kind guitarist and human being. He was a master at his craft, a peer I was in awe of and a friend I loved. I am deeply saddened by this news and Marjorie and I send his family our deepest condolences.

The world will be dimmer - and quieter - without him."

Joe Walsh

"Words cannot describe how monumental the loss of Edward Van Halen is to the music community. He inspiured generations of guitar players of all genres. His playing was unrivaled in its ingenuity and its ferocity. Rest In Peace to the greatest Rock Guitarist of all time."

Joe Bonamassa (via Twitter)

"EVH! There will never, ever be another one! Hearts are breaking all over the world. We thank you immensely for always inspiring us. Love and peace to the family. RIP Eddie."

Steve Wariner (via Twitter)

"God Bless Edward Van Halen"

Derek Sherinian

Finally, MUSIC WORTH BUYING co-host TJR has posted an emotional tribute to Eddie Van Halen on his channel you can view HERE.

Steve Miller to release 3 CD/DVD rarities box - 'Welcome to the Vault'

The news couldn't be better for fans of Steve Miller, who has decided to open his musical archives with a highly-anticipated collection coming this fall...

STEVE MILLER OPENS HIS ARCHIVES WITH WELCOME TO THE VAULT

 

LANDMARK 3CD + DVD ANTHOLOGY INCLUDES:

38 PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED RARITIES,

INCLUDING ALTERNATE VERSIONS, LIVE PERFORMANCES

AND FIVE PREVIOUSLY UNHEARD STEVE MILLER BAND SONGS

FROM THE '60S AND '70S.

 

DVD FEATURES 21 INCREDIBLE LIVE PERFORMANCES SPANNING SIX DECADES

 

UNPRECEDENTED BOX SET ALSO INCLUDES RARE PHOTOS AND MEMORABILIA

FROM ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAMER'S PERSONAL COLLECTION

 

ALSO AVAILABLE AS A 52-TRACK DIGITAL COLLECTION

 

FIRST TRACK AND PRE-ORDER AVAILABLE NOW

 

WELCOME TO THE VAULT ARRIVES EVERYWHERE ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11

Renowned guitarist, multi-platinum-selling singer-songwriter, bandleader and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Steve Miller has opened up his voluminous archive of recordings for the first time ever to present a milestone 3CD + DVD box set. WELCOME TO THE VAULT covers Miller's genre-blurring six-decade career over 52 audio tracks, pairing a number of greatest hits and certifiable rock 'n roll classics with 38 previously unreleased recordings that span demos, rehearsals, outtakes, vintage concert performances and 5 newly uncovered original Steve Miller Band songs recorded in the 1960s and 1970s.

 

The accompanying DVD collects 21 live performances, among them legendary rare TV appearances and concert videos.

 

WELCOME TO THE VAULT is accompanied by a 100-page hardbound book of photos, memorabilia and artifacts from Miller's personal collection, as well as an exclusive 9,000-word essay by renowned rock journalist David Fricke. Steve Miller Band's WELCOME TO THE VAULT, also available as a 52-track digital collection, arrives Friday, October 11 via Sailor/Capitol/UMe.

 

WELCOME TO THE VAULT is heralded by today's premiere of "Rock'n Me" (Alternate Version 1), a different take of the classic #1 hit from 1976.

 

LISTEN TO "ROCK'N ME" (ALTERNATE VERSION 1)

AND PRE-ORDER WELCOME TO THE VAULT

 

WATCH TRAILER/INTRO VIDEO

 

Fricke writes in his liner notes: "Miller wrote 'Rock'n Me' with a different setting in mind. He was still without a working band when the English prog-rock giants Pink Floyd asked him to be their special guest at a massive festival on July 5th, 1975 at Knebworth, England. Miller called Lonnie Turner, Les Dudek - a guitarist in Boz Scaggs' band - and Doug Clifford, the former drummer in Creedence Clearwater Revival. They rehearsed for a single afternoon, working up a half-dozen R&B standards, a couple of Miller hits and a surprising debut, 'The Window,' an early version of which appears on WELCOME TO THE VAULT.

 

"'But I knew what was going to happen,' Miller says. The Floyd 'were gonna put me on at sunset. There won't be any lights, and I'm just chum. I needed a song to rock the whole joint.' Miller showed 'Rock'n Me' to the band at practice; they played it live for the first time in front of 100,000 people at Knebworth. 'We closed with it, and it killed them,' Miller says proudly."

 

WELCOME TO THE VAULT opens in 1969 with the Steve Miller Band covering Little Walter's "Blues With a Feeling" at the Fillmore West in San Francisco, a previously unreleased 10-minute blowout unlike anything else in Miller's official studio or live catalog. Faithful to the form yet undeniably visionary, the track instantly sets the pace for what is to come. A turbulent "Super Shuffle" recorded live at Steve Miller Band's breakthrough appearance at 1967's Monterey Pop Festival, is fast followed by such previously unreleased revelations as an early version of "Going to Mexico" (originally found on 1970's NUMBER 5) as well as solo acoustic takes on BRAVE NEW WORLD's "Kow Kow Calculator" and "Seasons," recorded on the road in 1973.

 

The evolutionary sessions for 1976's FLY LIKE AN EAGLE and 1977's BOOK OF DREAMS - Steve Miller Band's "multi-platinum fusions of crisp funk and blues undercurrents, progressive-rock electronics and hit-single pith," according to Fricke - are captured via alternate takes including a striking view of "Fly Like an Eagle" as a 12-minute work-in-progress suite. WELCOME TO THE VAULT further includes a number of alternate version of iconic Steve Miller Band tracks mostly recorded prior to their commercial releases, and a recent big band reinterpretation of "Take the Money and Run" featuring fellow Texas guitar hero Jimmie Vaughan recorded live at New York's Jazz at Lincoln Center, where Miller is involved as a performer, educator and curator focusing on blues music.

 

Indeed, the blues in all its forms can be heard throughout WELCOME TO THE VAULT, in versions of songs of Willie Dixon, Robert Johnson and Otis Rush, as well as country and R&B variations like Roy Acuff's "Freight Train Blues" and Mickey and Sylvia's classic "Love Is Strange." Miller's own personal links to the lineage and history of guitar music are also prominently featured, including a 1990 version of Jimmy Reed's "I Wanna Be Loved," recorded with his close musical friend and godfather, Les Paul, during the electric guitar pioneer's famed Monday night residency at New York City's Fat Tuesday's.

 

WELCOME TO THE VAULT closes with a pair of landmark tracks also released here for the first time that include Texas blues guitar legend T-Bone Walker performing his 1952 hit, "Lollie Lou," on a tape made the year before in the Miller Family living room by Steve's father George, a passionate jazz and blues fan and home recording enthusiast. The collection finishes more than 60 years later with Miller himself performing "Lollie Lou" at "T-Bone Walker: A Bridge from Blues to Jazz," the December 2016 tribute concert curated by Miller at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

 

As if all that weren't enough, the WELCOME TO THE VAULT DVD features 21 incredible live performances, including rare footage from 1967's Monterey Pop Festival, a Dutch TV filmed performance of the Fillmore West from 1970, a 43-minute September 1973 concert at New York's Palace Theater broadcast on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert (unseen since the '70s), an ABC In Concert performance with James Cotton (1974), a performance of "Abracadabra" from Michigan's Pine Knob from that album tour in 1982, and selections fromAustin City Limits (2011), as well as Miller's intimate 1990 performance with Les Paul at New York City's Fat Tuesday's.

 

Long regarded as one of rock's most dynamic and creative live acts, the Steve Miller Band will team up with Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives for a 36-city U.S. tour. Miller calls it "An Amazing Evening of Original American Music - Classic Rock Meets Classic Country." The trek gets underway June 13 at Des Moines, Iowa's Wells Fargo Arena and then travels through a two-night finale at Woodinville, WA's Chateau Ste. Michelle on August 30 and 31.

 

STEVE MILLER BAND

WELCOME TO THE VAULT

(Sailor/Capitol/UMe)

RELEASE DATE: October 11, 2019

 

CD 1:

1. Blues with a Feeling (Live) (1969) *

2. Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around - Alternate Version (1969) *

3. Super Shuffle (Live) (1967) **

4. It Hurts Me Too (Feat. Steve Miller Band) (Live) (1967)

5. Industrial Military Complex Hex - Alternate Version (1970) *

6. Living in the USA (1968)

7. Kow Kow Calculator - Alternate Version (1973) *

8. Going to Mexico - Alternate Version (1966) *

9. Quicksilver Girl - Alternate Version (1968) *

10. Jackson-Kent Blues - Alternate Version (1970) *

11. Crossroads (Live) (1973) *

12. Hesitation Blues (1972) **

13. Seasons - Alternate Version (1973) *

14. Say Wow! (1973) **

15. Never Kill Another Man - Alternate Version (Live) (1971) *

 

CD 2:

1. The Gangster is Back (Live) (1971)

2. Space Cowboy - Instrumental Version (1969) *

3. Space Cowboy - Alternate Version (Live) (1973) *

4. The Joker (1973)

5. The Lovin' Cup (1973)

6. Killing Floor (1975) *

7. Evil (Live) (1973)

8. Echoplex Blues (1973) **

9. Rock'n Me - Alternate Version 1 (1976) *

10. Rock'n Me - Alternate Version 2 (1976) *

11. Tain't it the Truth (1976) *

12. Freight Train Blues (1976) *

13. True Fine Love - Alternate Version (1975) *

14. The Stake - Alternate Version (1976) *

15. My Babe - Alternate Version (1982) *

16. That's the Way It's Got to Be (1974) **

17. Double Trouble (1992) *

18. Love is Strange (1974) *

19. All Your Love (I Miss Loving) - Alternate Version (1992) *

CD 3:

1. I Wanna Be Loved (Live) (1990) *

2. Fly Like an Eagle - Alternate Version (1974) *

3. Space Intro (1976)

4. Fly Like an Eagle (1976)

5. The Window - Alternate Version (1974) *

6. Mercury Blues - Alternate Version (1975) *

7. Jet Airliner - Alternate Version (1976) *

8. Take the Money and Run (1976)

9. Dance, Dance, Dance (1976)

10. Swingtown - Alternate Version (1976) *

11. Winter Time (1977)

12. Who Do You Love? (1984)

13. Abracadabra (1982)

14. Macho City - Short Version (1981)

15. Take the Money and Run - Alternate Version (Live) (2016) *

16. Bizzy's Blue Tango* (2004)

17. Lollie Lou (T-Bone Walker) (Live) (1951) *

18. Lollie Lou (Steve Miller) (Live) (2016) *

 

* PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED RECORDING

** PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED SONG

 

DVD:

Monterey International Pop Festival - 1967

- Mercury Blues

- Super Shuffle

 

The Fillmore West - Dutch TV Show El Dorado (Pik-In) - 1970

- Kow Kow Calculator

- Space Cowboy

 

Don Kirshner's Rock Concert - 1973

- Star Spangled Banner

- Living in the USA

- Space Cowboy

- Mary Lou

- Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma

- The Gangster is Back

- The Joker

- Come on in My Kitchen

- Seasons

- Fly Like an Eagle

- Living in the USA (Reprise) 

 

ABC In Concert with James Cotton - 1974

- Just a Little Bit

 

Pine Knob, Michigan - 1982

- Abracadabra

 

Steve Miller and Les Paul at Fat Tuesday's - 1990

- I Wanna be Loved

- CC Rider

 

Live from Austin City Limits - 2011 

- Fly Like an Eagle

- Living in the USA

 

# # #

 

An Amazing Evening of Original American Music - Classic Rock Meets Classic Country

Featuring Steve Miller Band & Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives

 

JUNE

13 - Des Moines, IA - Wells Fargo Arena

15 - Tulsa OK - River Spirit Casino - Paradise Cove Margaritaville

16 - Rogers, AR - Walmart AMP

21 - Alton, IL - Liberty Bank Amphitheater Summer Concert Series

22 - Dubuque, IA - America's River Festival

24 - Grand Rapids, MI - Meijer Gardens

25 - Interlochen, MI - Kresge Auditorium

28 - Rochester, NY - Rochester International Jazz Festival

30 - Sterling Heights, MI - Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill

 

JULY

1 - Highland Park, IL - Ravinia Festival*

12 - Prior Lake, MN - Lakefront Music Festival

14 - Duluth, MN - Bayfront Festival Park

16 - Kettering, OH - Fraze Pavilion

18 - Baltimore, MD - MECU Pavilion

20 - Lynchburg, VA - Riverfront Park Concert Series

21 - Bensalem PA - Xcite Center at Parx Casino*

24 - New York, NY - Pier 17

25 - Boston, MA - Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion

27 - Rangeley, ME - Rangeley Health & Wellness Pavilion

28 - Kingston, NY - Hutton Brickyards

30 - Selbyville, DE - The Freeman Stage at Bayside

31 - Vienna, VA - Wolf Trap

 

AUGUST

2 - Mashantucket, CT - The Grand Theater at Foxwoods Casino

3 - Bethlehem, PA - Musikfest

11 - Albuquerque, NM - Sandia Resort and Casino

13 - Denver, CO - The Mission Ballroom

14 - Vail, CO - Gerald R. Ford Amphitheatre

16 - Billings, MT - Cove Creek Outdoor Pavilion

17 - Missoula, MT - Big Sky Brewery

19 - Salt Lake City, UT - Red Butte Garden

21 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre

22 - Paso Robles, CA - Vina Robles Amphitheatre

24 - Stateline, NV - Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys

27 - Salem, OR - Oregon State Fair

28 - Airway Heights, WA - Northern Quest Resort & Casino

30 - Woodinville, WA - Chateau Ste. Michelle

31 - Woodinville, WA - Chateau Ste. Michelle

 

* Steve Miller Band only

 

In addition, Miller will continue his exploration of the blues at New York's Jazz at Lincoln Center with "Cannonball Adderley and The Blues," a spirited celebration of saxophone legend Cannonball Adderley. Set for Saturday, December 14at JALC's Rose Theater, the event will see Miller joined by vocalist Brianna Thomas and the Patrick Bartley Sextet, led by one of NYC's most acclaimed young saxophonists. Tickets and additional information can be found HERE.

34th Annual NAMM TEC Awards: Peter Frampton, Leslie Ann Jones & more honored

Here is the official media release providing details about the 34th Annual NAMM TEC Awards held at the NAMM Show in Anaheim last  night (Jan. 26, 2019)...

Peter Frampton performing during the 34 Annual NAMM TEC
Awards on Jan. 26, 2019. Photo: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for NAMM

TECHNICAL & CREATIVE EXCELLENCE WINNERS ANNOUNCED AT THE 34^TH ANNUAL NAMM TEC AWARDS

GUITARIST PETER FRAMPTON PERFORMS & RECEIVES THE LES PAUL INNOVATION AWARD;

SKYWALKER SOUND’S LESLIE ANN JONES INDUCTED TO THE NAMM TEC HALL OF FAME

PRESENTERS INCLUDED HERBIE HANCOCK, STEVE LUKATHER, RAFA SARDINA,

DEREK ‘MixedByAli’ ALI, AT SHOW HOSTED BY COMEDIAN DEMETRI MARTIN

ANAHEIM, Calif. – January 26, 2019 - Winners in 23 technical and eight creative excellence categories were announced at the 34^th Annual NAMM TEC AWARDS, Saturday, January 26, from the global NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA. Presented by The NAMM Foundation and held annually, the event recognizes the exemplary achievements and innovations behind the sound of recordings, live performances, films, television, video games and multi-media. Comedian Demetri Martin returned as host.

Several companies scored dual wins for Outstanding Technical Achievement: Universal Audio picked up two awards for their OX Amp Top Box under the category of Musical Instrument Amplification & Effects, while their Arrow audio interface won for Computer Audio Hardware. JBL also celebrated dual wins for their

3 Series MkII under the Studio Monitors category, and in Sound Reinforcement Loudspeakers for the company’s VTX A12W Line Array Loudspeaker.

Additional Outstanding Technical Achievement awards were given in honor of companies who excelled in DJ Production Technology, Hardware/Software, Wireless Technology, Microphones Recording, and more.

Creatives behind Game of Thrones continued their encore appearances on the NAMM TEC stage year-after-year, this time under the best in Sound in Television Production winner’s spot, as a part of the projects chosen for Outstanding Creative Achievement. The 60th Annual GRAMMY® Awards (CBS Television Network), picked up another win for Remote Production/Recording or Broadcasting, after sweeping the same category the prior year.

Peter Frampton, left, with Steve Lukather at the
34th Annual NAMM TEC Awards on Jan. 26, 2019.Photo: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for NAMM

Proving the NAMM TEC Awards is one of the best nights in music, songwriter Steve Lukather was on hand to introduce GRAMMY award-winning guitarist, singer-songwriter Peter Frampton as the newest recipient of the Les Paul Innovation Award. After rocking the hall with several classics that included “I Want You to Love Me,” and “Blackhole Sun,” dedicated to the late Chris Cornell, Frampton remarked, “Les Paul was the godfather of modern recording, the most innovative of guitar players, and the creator of what we do. It’s a debt we all owe him. Whatever I’ve done to win this amazing recognition started with Les. Les showed us that innovation isn’t about high tech or money – it’s about ideas and using the tools at your disposal to make music in ways it’s never been made before.” The award has been presented annually to remarkably-distinguished and accomplished individuals from the music industry, such as Jackson Browne, Joe Perry, Todd Rundgren, Pete Townshend, Lindsey Buckingham and beyond. Read more about The Les Paul Foundation by visiting https://www.lespaulfoundation.org/.

 

Leslie Ann Jones at 34th Annual NAMM
TEC Awards in Anaheim, CA.
Photo: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for NAMM

Skywalker Sound’s accomplished engineer, producer and director of music and scoring, Leslie Ann Jones, was inducted into the NAMM TEC Hall of Fame and earlier in the evening, presented a TEC Award for the 60^th Annual Grammy Awards. Jones was introduced by jazz great Herbie Hancock, and is now among the coveted few inductees fit for the honor, which recognizes pioneers of audio technology, as well as the music industry’s most accomplished producers and audio technicians. Rose Mann Cherney, Skunk Baxter, Hal Blaine, Jack Douglas, Nathan East, Geoff Emerick and others have also been honored in recent years.

The NAMM TEC Awards were held during The NAMM Show, the global crossroads of the music products, pro audio and sound, and event technology industries. In total, winners in the 31 categories were selected from hundreds of product and project nominees. The final winners were chosen by a group of experts from all facets of the pro audio and sound production industries.

Title sponsors for the show included The Les Paul Foundation, D’Angelico New York, as well as many additional friends and long-time industry advocates. A full list of sponsors can be found here. Many of the evening’s winning products and technologies are available at music and pro audio retailers worldwide both online and in stores.

A complete list of Technical and Creative Achievement winners can be found below and here.

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT

Amplification Hardware/Studio & Sound Reinforcement
Grace Design - m908 Surround Monitor Controller

Audio Apps & Hardware/Peripherals for Smartphones & Tablets
Yamaha - CL/QL StageMix v.7

Audio Education Technology
Produce Like A Pro - Produce Like A Pro

Computer Audio Hardware
Universal Audio - Arrow

DJ Production Technology (Hardware/Software)
Pioneer DJ - DDJ-1000 Controller

Headphone/Earpiece Technology
Audio-Technica - ATH-M60x

Large Format Console Technology
Solid State Logic - SSL Live L100

Microphone Preamplifiers
Rupert Neve Designs - RMP-D8

Microphones – Recording
Neumann - U 67

Microphones – Sound Reinforcement
Sennheiser - HSP Essential Omni

Musical Instrument Amplification & Effects
Universal Audio - OX Amp Top Box

Musical Instrument Hardware
Dave Smith Instruments - Sequential Prophet X

Musical Instrument Software
EastWest Sounds - Hollywood Choirs

Production Essentials
PreSonus - FaderPort 16

Signal Processing Hardware
Eventide - H9000

Signal Processing Hardware (500 Series Modules)
API - 529 Stereo Compressor

Signal Processing Software (Dynamics/EQ /Utilities)
iZotope - Ozone 8 Mastering Suite

Signal Processing Software (Effects)
Soundtoys - Little Plate Plug-In

Small Format Console Technology
Allen & Heath - SQ Series Mixers

Sound Reinforcement Loudspeakers
JBL - VTX A12W

Studio Monitors
JBL - 3 Series MkII

Wireless Technology
Sennheiser - evolution wireless G4

Workstation Technology/Recording Devices
Avid - Pro Tools Ultimate

CREATIVE ACHIEVEMENT

Film Sound Production
Black Panther (Marvel Studios / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Interactive Entertainment Sound Production
Star Wars Battlefront II (DICE / Electronic Arts)

Record Production/Album
Colors, Beck (Capitol)

Record Production/Single or Track
“This Is America,” Childish Gambino (mcDJ / RCA)

Remote Production/Recording or Broadcasting
60th Annual GRAMMY Awards (CBS Television Network)

Studio Design Project
Sound on Sound Studios, Montclair, NJ (David Amlen)

Television Sound Production
Game of Thrones (HBO / Warner Bros. Television)

Tour Event Sound Production
Man of the Woods Tour, Justin Timberlake (Clair Global)

For more information about NAMM TEC Awards, visit www.tecawards.org. For more information about The Les Paul Foundation, visit https://www.lespaulfoundation.org.

About The NAMM Foundation
The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit organization with the mission of advancing active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving and public service programs from the international music products industry.

About NAMM
The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) is the not-for-profit association with a mission to strengthen the $17 billion music products industry. NAMM is comprised of approximately 10,300 members located in 104 countries and regions. NAMM events and members fund The NAMM Foundation's efforts to promote the pleasures and benefits of music, and advance active participation in music making across the lifespan. For more information about NAMM, please visit www.namm.org, call 800.767.NAMM (6266) or follow the organization on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

About the NAMM TEC Awards
Presented annually by the NAMM Foundation during The NAMM Show, The NAMM TEC Awards recognizes the individuals, companies and technical innovations behind the sound of recordings, live performances, films, television, video games and other media in 23 Technical and 8 Creative Achievement Categories. The Les Paul Innovation Award is given at the event in tribute to musical artists and others whose work has exemplified the creative application of audio technology. Through its Hall of Fame, The TEC Awards also honors the pioneers of audio technology and the music industry’s most accomplished producers and audio technicians. The NAMM Foundation’s TECnology Hall of Fame celebrates innovations and groundbreaking technical achievements of the past. For more information, visit www.tecawards.org

Peter Frampton to receive Les Paul Innovation Award during NAMM Show in January 2019

Great news that acclaimed guitarist Peter Frampton will receive the Les Paul Innovation Award in Anaheim onJan. 26, 2019...

Legendary Guitarist Peter Frampton to Receive

Les Paul Innovation Award at 34^th Annual NAMM TEC Awards

GRAMMY® award-winning guitarist, singer, songwriter, and innovator Peter Frampton will receive the prestigious Les Paul Innovation Award at the 34^th Annual NAMM Technical Excellence & Creativity Awards (NAMM TEC Awards), being held Saturday, January 26, 2019, in Anaheim, CA. The award is given to those individuals who personify the innovative thinking of Les Paul, the Father of Modern of Music. The Les Paul Foundation partners with NAMM each year to honor the individuals that have set the highest standards of excellence in the creative application of recording technology, which also celebrates the legacy of the late, great Les Paul.

Frampton notes, “It is a distinct honor to receive the Les Paul Innovation Award. I would say that many of my career highlights occurred while holding an instrument in my hands that bears Les Paul’s name. I was lucky enough to know him personally, and I owe him so much. He was a wonderful character as well as a genius! An incredible guitar player as well as the inventor of so much music technology. Les changed the way we record forever. I can only hope that I’ve been able to make a fraction of the positive impact that Les Paul made in his iconic career.”

Frampton is one of music’s renaissance men, having begun a career in his early teens, and still making his mark today in the areas of recording and touring. A multi-platinum-selling artist, he recently celebrated the 42^nd anniversary of his fifth solo album, Frampton Comes Alive!, an album that remains one of the top-selling live records of all time with over 17 million copies sold worldwide. In 2007 he won the GRAMMY award for “Best Pop Instrumental Album” for Fingerprints and in 2014 was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame.

“Peter Frampton remains one of the most skillful and celebrated artists in rock history. He also was a friend of Les Paul’s and has played a pivotal role in helping the Foundation keep Les’s legacy alive,” shared Michael Braunstein, Executive Director, The Les Paul Foundation. “Like Les, he is an undeniable master of his instrument and in many ways ahead of his time. We are honored to have Peter join the impressive list of Les Paul Innovation Award recipients.” 

Frampton’s storied career began at 16 as the lead singer and guitarist for the British band The Herd. By 18, he co-founded one of the first supergroups – the seminal rock act Humble Pie. His touring years have included work with a whos-who of the top names in music, such as David Bowie, Stevie Nicks, Gregg Allman, Ringo Starr, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Cheap Trick, Steve Miller Band, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings, and many others. Additionally, he took his eponymous Peter Frampton's Guitar Circus on the road for two years with special guests B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Vince Gill, Larry Carlton, Robert Randolph, Don Felder (formerly of The Eagles), Dean DeLeo (Stone Temple Pilots), Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Sonny Landreth, Robert Cray, and Roger McGuinn (The Byrds).

His session work includes collaborations with artists who have made their mark on the industry including George Harrison, Harry Nilsson, Jerry Lee Lewis, John Entwistle, Mike McCready, and Matt Cameron (Pearl Jam), among many others.

Frampton’s talent has also stretched beyond music and into the realm of television and film. He was called upon by Oscar-winning writer/director Cameron Crowe to serve as technical advisor for the film Almost Famous (2000) and even appeared in the film and composed several songs for the soundtrack. Frampton has appeared as himself in The Simpsons and Family Guy.

Les Paul invented the solid body electric guitar, multi-track recording, overdubbing, echo, reverb and numerous other recording techniques. Without Les Paul, the music industry would not be what it is today. He is often called the “Father of Modern Music,” “The Wizard of Waukesha” and even the “Thomas Edison of Music.” Les founded the Foundation prior to his passing and wanted to inspire young people to invent, create, innovate, and get involved in music while exploring their own creative ideas. Today, The Les Paul Foundation works with organizations throughout the country in support of music education, engineering, and medical research. The Les Paul Innovation Award at NAMM and the Les Paul Spirit Award are two of the most prestigious awards celebrated by the Foundation.

With the honor, Frampton joins Jackson Browne, Joe Perry (Aerosmith), Don Was, Slash, Todd Rundgren, Pete Townshend, Steve Vai, and others, who have received the Les Paul Innovation Award since it began in 1991.

Announced early this year, Leslie Ann Jones, the Grammy-winning groundbreaking engineer, producer, and Director of Music and Scoring for Skywalker Sound, will be inducted into the NAMM TEC Hall of Fame that same night. Jones joins luminaries Rose Mann Cherney, Skunk Baxter, Hal Blaine, Jack Douglas, Nathan East, Geoff Emerick, and others with her induction, the industry’s highest honor for pioneers of audio technology and the music industry’s most accomplished producers and audio technicians.

The NAMM TEC Awards are held during The NAMM Show, the global gathering of music, sound and event technology industries, in Anaheim, California, January 24-27, 2019. They arebestowed annually in honor of the many individuals, companies and technical innovations used in sound recordings, films, broadcast television and video games. Nominees were announcedearlier this year. Purchase tickets on site or in advance here for $65 (General Admission) or $195 (VIP). The show begins with a VIP-only reception at 6PM, followed by the awards ceremony at 7PM, held in the Hilton Anaheim Hotel’s Pacific Ballroom. Stand-up comedian and entertainer Demetri Martin will host the ceremony.

ABOUT THE TEC AWARDS

Presented annually by the NAMM Foundation during The NAMM Show, The NAMM TEC Awards recognizes the individuals, companies and technical innovations behind the sound of recordings, live performances, films, television, video games and other media in 23 Technical and 8 Creative Achievement Categories. The Les Paul Innovation Award is given at the event in tribute to musical artists and others whose work has exemplified the creative application of audio technology. Through its Hall of Fame, The TEC Awards also honors the pioneers of audio technology and the music industry’s most accomplished producers and audio technicians. The NAMM Foundation’s TECnology Hall of Fame celebrates innovations and groundbreaking technical achievements of the past. For more information, visit www.tecawards.org.

ABOUT LES PAUL FOUNDATION

Les Paul formed his foundation to encourage young people to pursue their curiosity and innovation about music, sound and engineering. Recent grants from the Les Paul Foundation include funding to multiple music education programs and to museums that tell the Les Paul story. The foundation’s comprehensive website at www.lespaulfoundation.org connects viewers to numerous resources. The mission of the Les Paul Foundation is to honor and share the life, spirit and legacy of Les Paul by supporting music education, engineering and innovation as well as medical research. The foundation is based in New York.

Follow the Les Paul Foundation at www.facebook.com/lespaulfoundation, www.twitter.com/lespaulfoundation, www.instagram.com/lespaulofficial or click on lespaulfoundation.org.