Mike Melvoin's passing has me reflecting on some great moments in Recording Academy history.
And Don Heckman's tribute and obit in the LA Times brought back even more memories. Even from the Other Side, Melvoin is still throwing elbows, calling it like he sees it, and never backing down.
That's our Mike!
At my first Trustees meeting in 1984, Melvoin was my first Chair. We didn't have a full-time President then, just a volunteer Chairman/President. We had big Chapters and small, all separate corporations. The Chapters were sometimes at odds with the national office. And the issues and passions and politics were as intense then as they are today, maybe more so. And I recall Mike having total command. Now, I realize he was the first working musician to lead The Academy. His passion and commitment to music makers were so clear and, frankly, were the source of the respect he enjoyed across that entire Board.
But if there is one towering Academy initiative that I remember Mike for, it's his early commitment to the idea of a Latin Recording Academy. He nearly willed it into existence. This was so hard to get started. Hurdles everywhere, all over three continents. Different languages, clashing cultures, decades of history. But long after he was Chair, Melvoin never quit pushing this from idea to reality. He would not let it go. And he did it for two reasons only: the music, and the music makers.
That pretty much sums up his motivation for nearly everything: the music and the music makers.
The first working musician to lead The Academy. Whew.
We are still reaping the benefits of what this piano player brought to our Academy and our lives.
(Hank Neuberger is a GRAMMY-winning producer and former Chair of The Recording Academy. He is currently a webcast producer for the Coachella, Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits music festivals.)