Mike Melvoin (May 10, 1937February 22, 2012) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

pianist, composer, and arranger. He served as chairman and president of

The Recording Academy The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous for its Grammy A ...

and worked as a prolific

studio musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a t ...

, recording with Frank Sinatra,

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

The Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most o ...

Natalie Cole Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of American singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to success in the mid-1970s as an R&B singer with the h ...

, and

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by the ...

. Melvoin was nominated for the 2003

Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Solo The Grammy Award for Best Improvised Jazz Solo has been awarded since 1959. Before 1979 the award title did not specify instrumental performances and was presented for instrumental or vocal performances. The award has had several minor name change ...

for "All or Nothing at All" from his album ''It's Always You''.

Biography

Melvoin was born in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and began playing the piano at the age of three. He studied English at

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native ...

, graduating in 1959, but decided to pursue a career in music. Melvoin, whose original family name was Mehlworm, was

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

. After moving to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

in 1961, he played with

Frank Rosolino Frank Rosolino (August 20, 1926 – November 26, 1978) was an American jazz trombonist. Biography Rosolino was born in Detroit, Michigan, United States, He performed with the big bands of Bob Chester, Glen Gray, Tony Pastor, Herbie Fields, Ge ...

Leroy Vinnegar Leroy Vinnegar (July 13, 1928 – August 3, 1999) was an American jazz bassist. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, the self-taught Vinnegar established his reputation in Los Angeles, California, during the 1950s and 1960s. His trade ...

Gerald Wilson Gerald Stanley Wilson (September 4, 1918 – September 8, 2014) was an American jazz trumpeter, big band bandleader, composer, arranger, and educator. Born in Mississippi, he was based in Los Angeles from the early 1940s. In addition to being a ...

, Paul Horn,

Terry Gibbs Terry Gibbs (born Julius Gubenko; October 13, 1924) is an American jazz vibraphonist and band leader. He has performed or recorded with Tommy Dorsey, Chubby Jackson,Theroux, Gary"Gibbs, Terry".''Grove Music Online''. Oxford University Press. R ...

, Joe Williams, Peggy Lee and others. He released his debut album as a bandleader, ''Keys to Your Mind'', in 1966 on Liberty Records. Melvoin played in clubs in Los Angeles, and accompanied singer Bill Henderson and played with Herb Ellis and

Plas Johnson Plas John Johnson Jr. (born July 21, 1931) is an American soul-jazz and hard bop tenor saxophonist, probably most widely known as the tenor saxophone soloist on Henry Mancini’s "The Pink Panther Theme". He also performs on alto and baritone sa ...

Concord Jazz Concord Jazz is a record company and label founded in 1973 by Carl Jefferson, the former owner of Jefferson Motors Lincoln Mercury dealership in Concord, California. The label was named after the city in the East San Francisco Bay area, and the j ...

releases. Melvoin worked extensively as a studio musician, performing on the Beach Boys' ''

Pet Sounds ''Pet Sounds'' is the 11th studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released on May 16, 1966, by Capitol Records. It was initially met with a lukewarm critical and commercial response in the United States, peaking at number 10 on the ...

'' (1966), Frank Sinatra's '' That's Life'' (1966), the Jackson 5's '' ABC'' (1970), John Lennon's " Stand by Me" (1975),

Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...

' '' Nighthawks at the Diner'' (1975), and

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...

's "

Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born) "Evergreen" (also called "Love Theme from ''A Star Is Born''") is the theme song from the 1976 film '' A Star Is Born''. It was composed and performed by American singer, songwriter, actress and director Barbra Streisand with lyrics by Paul Wi ...

" (1976). He worked in the early 1970s as a music director on ''

The Partridge Family ''The Partridge Family'' is an American musical sitcom starring Shirley Jones and featuring David Cassidy. Jones plays a widowed mother, and Cassidy plays the oldest of her five children, in a family who embarks on a music career. It ran from S ...

'' recordings, often playing keyboard, and also began composing for film and television including contributing scores to '' Fame'' and ''

MacGyver Angus "Mac" MacGyver is the title character and the protagonist in the TV series ''MacGyver''. He is played by Richard Dean Anderson in the 1985 original series. Lucas Till portrays a younger version of MacGyver in the 2016 reboot. In both p ...

''. His children,

Wendy Wendy is a given name now generally given to girls in English-speaking countries. In Britain, Wendy appeared as a masculine name in a parish record in 1615. It was also used as a surname in Britain from at least the 17th century. Its popularity ...

(of

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...

's band The Revolution, and later of

Wendy & Lisa Wendy & Lisa (briefly known as Girl Bros.) are a music duo consisting of Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman. They began working with Prince in the early 1980s and were part of his band the Revolution, before branching out on their own and releasin ...

), Susannah and Jonathan all became professional musicians. Melvoin was the first active musician to serve as the head of

NARAS The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous for its Grammy A ...

. When NARAS introduced category changes to the Grammys in 2011, he opposed them. Melvoin died in Burbank, California on February 22, 2012 of cancer, at age 74.

Discography

As leader

* ''Keys to Your Mind'' (

Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

, 1966) * ''Between the Two'' (Liberty, 1968) * ''The Plastic Cow Goes Moooooog'' ( Dot, 1970) * ''Redeye'' (Voss, 1988) * ''The Capitol Sessions'' (

Naim Naim (also spelled Na'im, Nayeem, Naeem, Naiem, Nahim, Naheem, Nyhiem, Nihiem, Nyheim, Niheem, or Nahiem) ( ar, نعیم, he, נעים) is a male given name and surname. Notable persons with the name include: *Naim ibn Hammad (died 843 AD), H ...

, 1999) * ''Oh Baby'' (City Light, 2002) * ''It's Always You'' (City Light, 2003) * ''Like Jazz'' (City Light, 2003) * ''Playing the Word'' (City Light, 2006) * ''You Know'' (City Light, 2006)

As backing musician

With Judy Collins * '' Who Knows Where the Time Goes'' (Elektra, 1968) With Stan Getz * ''

Children of the World ''Children of the World'' is a 1976 album by the Bee Gees. The first single, " You Should Be Dancing", went to No. 1 in the US and Canada, and was a top ten hit in numerous other territories. It was the group's fourteenth album (twelfth interna ...

'' (Columbia, 1979) With

Thelma Houston Thelma Houston ( Jackson; born May 7, 1946) Retrieved . is an American singer. Beginning her recording career in the late 1960s, Houston scored a number-one hit record in 1977 with her recording of " Don't Leave Me This Way", which won the Gramm ...

* ''

I've Got the Music in Me "I've Got the Music in Me" is a pop song by The Kiki Dee Band, released in 1974. It was written in 1973 by Bias Boshell, Kiki Dee Band's keyboardist. It is also the title of a Kiki Dee Band album released in 1974 and re-mastered and re-issued wit ...

'' (Sheffield Lab, 1975) With

Lucio Battisti Lucio Battisti (5 March 1943 – 9 September 1998) was an influential Italian singer-songwriter and composer. He is widely recognized for songs that defined the late 1960s and 1970s era of Italian songwriting. Battisti released 18 studio albums ...

* '' Io tu noi tutti'' (Numero Uno, 1977) With

José Feliciano José Montserrate Feliciano García (born September 10, 1945) () is a Puerto Rican musician, singer and composer. He recorded many international hits, including his rendition of the Doors' "Light My Fire" and his self-penned Christmas song " F ...

* ''Souled'' (RCA Victor, 1968) * ''10 to 23'' (RCA Victor, 1969) * ''And the Feeling's Good'' (RCA Victor, 1974) * ''Ya Soy Tuyo'' (RCA International, 1985) With Milt Jackson * ''

Memphis Jackson ''Memphis Jackson'' is an album by American jazz vibraphonist Milt Jackson featuring performances with the Ray Brown Big Band recorded in 1969 for the Impulse! label.

'' (Impulse!, 1969) With

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...

* '' The Hot Rock OST'' (Prophesy, 1972) With Peggy Lee * '' I'm a Woman'' (Capitol Records, 1963) * ''

Mirrors A mirror or looking glass is an object that reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror will show an image of whatever is in front of it, when focused through the lens of the eye or a camera. Mirrors reverse the direction of the ima ...

'' (A&M Records, 1975) With Helen Reddy * '' Ear Candy'' (Capitol Records, 1977) With

* '' Unforgettable... with Love'' (Elektra Records, 1991) * '' Take a Look'' (Elektra Records, 1993) With

Michael Bublé Michael Steven Bublé ( ; born September 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer. A four-time Grammy Award winner, he is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American Songboo ...

* ''

'' (Reprise Records, 2003) * '' Call Me Irresponsible'' (Reprise Records, 2007) With

Oliver Nelson Oliver Edward Nelson (June 4, 1932 – October 28, 1975) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger, composer, and bandleader. His 1961 Impulse! album ''The Blues and the Abstract Truth'' (1961) is regarded as one of the most signifi ...

* ''

Sound Pieces ''Sound Pieces'' is an album by American jazz composer, conductor and arranger Oliver Nelson featuring performances recorded in 1966 for the Impulse! label.

'' (Impulse, 1966) With

Johnny Rivers Johnny Rivers (born John Henry Ramistella; November 7, 1942) is an American musician. His repertoire includes pop, folk, blues, and old-time rock 'n' roll. Rivers charted during the 1960s and 1970s but remains best known for a string of hit sing ...

* ''Last Boogie In Paris'' (live) (Atlantic Records, 1974) * ''New Lovers and Old Friends'' (Epic Records, 1975) * ''Wild Night'' (United Artists Records, 1976) * ''Outside Help'' (Big Tree Records, 1977) With

Tim Buckley Timothy Charles Buckley III (February 14, 1947 – June 29, 1975) was an American musician. His music and style changed considerably through the years. Buckley began his career based in folk music, but his subsequent albums experimented with ...

* ''

Look at the Fool ''Look at the Fool'' is the ninth and final studio album by American singer-songwriter Tim Buckley, released on September 13, 1974, by DiscReet Records. Track listing All tracks are written by Tim Buckley, except where noted. Personnel *Ti ...

'' (Rhino Records, 1974) With

Joe Pass Joe Pass (born Joseph Anthony Jacobi Passalaqua; January 13, 1929 – May 23, 1994) was an American jazz guitarist. Pass is well known for his work stemming from numerous collaborations with pianist Oscar Peterson and vocalist Ella Fitzgerald, an ...

* '' Guitar Interludes'' (Discovery, 1969) With

* '' The Movie Album'' (Columbia Records, 2003) With

Kenny Rogers Kenneth Ray Rogers (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particularly popular with country audiences but also charted m ...

* ''

Timepiece A clock or a timepiece is a device used to measure and indicate time. The clock is one of the oldest human inventions, meeting the need to measure intervals of time shorter than the natural units such as the day, the lunar month and the ...

'' (Atlantic Records, 1994) With Boz Scaggs * '' Slow Dancer'' (Columbia Records, 1974) With Rock Flowers * ''Rock Flowers'' (Wheel/RCA, 1971) * ''Naturally'' (Wheel/RCA, 1972) With Barry Manilow * ''

Manilow Sings Sinatra ''Manilow Sings Sinatra'' is an album by singer-songwriter Barry Manilow, released in 1998. It is a compilation of Manilow singing songs originally made notable by Frank Sinatra, who had recently died. The album also featured two new composition ...

'' (Arista Records, 1998) With Donovan * ''

7-Tease ''7-Tease'' is an album by the British singer-songwriter Donovan. It was released in the US (Epic PE 33245) in November 1974 and in the UK (Epic SEPC 69104) in January 1975. The album peaked at No. 135 on the ''Billboard'' 200. History After t ...

'' (Epic Records, 1974) With Lalo Schifrin * '' Music from Mission: Impossible'' (Dot, 1967) * '' More Mission: Impossible'' (Paramount, 1968) * '' Mannix'' (Paramount, 1968) * '' Bullitt (soundtrack)'' (Warner Bros., 1968) * ''

Rock Requiem ''Rock Requiem'' (subtitled ''For the Dead in the Southeast Asia War'') is an album by Argentine composer, pianist and conductor Lalo Schifrin recorded in 1971 and released on the Verve label.Payne, DLalo Schifrin discographyaccessed March 19, 2 ...

'' (Verve, 1971) * ''

Gypsies The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sign ...

'' (Tabu, 1978) With

Juice Newton Judith Kay "Juice" Newton (born February 18, 1952) is an American pop and country singer, songwriter, and musician. Newton has received five Grammy Award nominations in the Pop and Country Best Female Vocalist categorieswinning once in 1983as well ...

* ''

Juice Newton & Silver Spur ''Juice Newton & Silver Spur'' is the eponymous debut studio album by country-rock trio Juice Newton & Silver Spur. The album contains Newton's first charting single, "Love Is a Word", and the original version of "The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Kno ...

'' (RCA Victor, 1975) With

Bud Shank Clifford Everett "Bud" Shank Jr. (May 27, 1926 – April 2, 2009) was an American alto saxophonist and flautist. He rose to prominence in the early 1950s playing lead alto and flute in Stan Kenton's Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra and thro ...

* '' Bud Shank Plays Music from Today's Movies'' (World Pacific, 1967) With

Gábor Szabó Gábor István Szabó (March 8, 1936 – February 26, 1982) was a Hungarian American guitarist whose style incorporated jazz, pop, rock, and Hungarian music. Early years Szabó was born in Budapest, Hungary. He began playing guitar at the age ...

* ''

Light My Fire "Light My Fire" is a song by the American rock band the Doors. It was recorded in August 1966 and released in January 1967 on their eponymous debut album. Released as an edited single on April 24, 1967, it spent three weeks at number one on ...

'' (Impulse!, 1967) with

Bob Thiele Bob, BOB, or B.O.B. may refer to: Places *Mount Bob, New York, United States *Bob Island, Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica People, fictional characters, and named animals * Bob (given name), a list of people and fictional characters *Bob (surname ...

* '' Wind, Sky and Diamonds'' (Impulse!, 1967) * ''

1969 This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 **Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...

'' (Skye, 1969) With

* '' Leroy Walks Again!!'' (Contemporary, 1963) * ''Jazz's Great Walker'' (Vee Jay, 1964) With

* '' The Heart of Saturday Night'' (Asylum Records, 1974) * ''

Nighthawks_at_the_Diner ''Nighthawks at the Diner'' is the third studio album by singer and songwriter Tom Waits, released on October 21, 1975 on Asylum Records. It was recorded over four sessions in July in the Los Angeles Record Plant studio in front of a small invit ...

'' (Asylum Records, 1975) With

Paul Anka Paul Albert Anka (born July 30, 1941) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known for his signature hit songs including " Diana", " Lonely Boy", " Put Your Head on My Shoulder", and "(You're) Having My Baby". Anka also ...

* ''The Music Man'' (United Artists Records, 1977)

Filmography

* ''The Main Event (1979) Composer'' * '' The Good Shepherd'' (2006) - Piano Player

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Melvoin, Mike 1937 births 2012 deaths People from Oshkosh, Wisconsin American film score composers American jazz pianists American male pianists American music arrangers American session musicians American television composers Deaths from cancer in California Dartmouth College alumni Musicians from Wisconsin Musicians from Los Angeles 20th-century American pianists American rock keyboardists 20th-century American composers Jewish American musicians Jazz musicians from California American male film score composers 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians 20th-century American keyboardists 21st-century American Jews