Sir George Martin died in his sleep on March 9, 2016. The information was confirmed by Ringo Starr on his Twitter account as well as a spokesperson for the Universal music group. The cause of the death has not been revealed yet.
He is described as a refined British gentleman; Well-dressed, loved tea, classical music and comedies, it seems weird that he is famous for producing one of the biggest rock bands in the history of music.
George was received with apprehension by The Beatles. They were rock stars and Mr. Martin was a refined gentleman. Under his tenure, the band released one hit after another. He proved himself cunning and rather persuasive. He managed to combine the rebellious nature of rock music, elements of classical music and the dreamy style of pop. The result? The elevation of the band, far beyond the realms of pop.
He is famous for his musical engineering prowess. Those days, the average producer tried to capture the nature of a live performance in the studio. But Mr. Martin saw the studio itself as an instrument. He did not invent everything he used, but the result of his work is unique. The best example of this is the Beatles’ 1967 album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” The name of the album is a synonym of experimentation in a studio.
He also took part in the comedy scene. He worked for the BBC’s classical music department and he recorded two very popular LPs with Peter Sellers. Martin worked with other comedians; included Bernard Cribbins, Charlie Drake, Terry Scott, Bruce Forsyth, Michael Bentine, Dudley Moore, Flanders and Swann, Lance Percival, Joan Sims, and Bill Oddie.
He also released an electronic dance single called “Time beat” using an alias, Ray Cathode.
He is best known for his work with the Beatles. George formed part of the band as the arranger. When he started working with them, most of the orchestral arrangements were written by Martin. He also coordinated the instrumentation until the members of the band developed skill from experience. He also used multi-track which was rare at the time. Speeding instrument or slowing them and including classical instruments in the songs, his influence in the sound of the band earned him the title of “the fifth Beatle”.
Martin had 30 number-one hit singles in the United Kingdom and 23 number-one hits in the United States, produced events for Queen Elizabeth and contributed to charitable causes. He was made a knight Bachelor in 1996 for his service to the music industry.
Source: Rock Hall