Arif Mardin RIP

Arif Mardin, a music business legend, passed away yesterday at age 74. Mardin worked as a producer with many music greats, including several Grammy winners.

Born in Istanbul, Turkey, Arif had a chance meeting with jazz great Dizzy Gillespie and Quincy Jones in 1956 when they played in his home country. Two years later in 1958, Arif became the first recipient of the Quincy Jones Scholarship at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Mardin joined Atlantic Records in 1963 and eventually rose to Senior Vice President, working with some of the biggest names in music along the way.

His early work with Aretha Franklin solidified his genius status. Arif worked on several #1 singles including "Pick Up The Pieces" by Average White Band, "Against All Odds" and "Separate Lives" by Phil Collins, "I Feel For You" by Chaka Khan and the Grammy-winning "Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler. He also worked with Willie Nelson, Jewel and Norah Jones.

Over his career, Arif collected over fifty gold and platinum albums and 12 Grammy awards. Amazingly he was over 70 when he worked on Norah Jones' smash records "Come Away With Me" and "Feels Like Home."