Lauded and prolific studio engineer Al Schmitt, who worked on more than 150 RIAA gold- or platinum-certified albums, died Monday, April 26, at age 91, Grammy.com reports.
"The world has lost a much loved and respected extraordinary individual, who led an extraordinary life," Schmitt's family said in a statement shared with Grammy.com. "The most honored and awarded recording producer/engineer of all time, his parting words at any speaking engagement were, 'Please be kind to all living things.'"
Schmitt won 20 Grammy Awards during his long career, more than any other studio engineer or mixer. Among the many Grammy-winning albums to which he contributed are George Benson's Breezin', Steely Dan's Aja, Toto's Toto IV, Natalie Cole's Unforgettable…with Love, Ray Charles' Genius Loves Company and Paul McCartney's Kisses on the Bottom and Live Kisses. Schmitt won five of his Grammys for his work on Genius Loves Company alone.
Among the many other noteworthy albums Schmitt worked on are Jefferson Airplane's After Bathing at Baxter's, Crown of Creation and Volunteers, Neil Young's On the Beach, Jackson Browne's Late for the Sky and the recent Bob Dylan records Shadows of the Night, Fallen Angels and Triplicate.
In 2006, Schmitt was presented with the Grammy Trustees Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2014 he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the music industry.
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