Sir George recipient of “Starry Night†award from Recording Academy By Kat Kramer for Hollywood Today
HOLLYWOOD, CA (RUSHPRNEWS) 7/5/08 — On July 12, The Grammy Foundation will honor Sir George Martin on the USC campus. It is the signature, annual “Starry Night†– a special benefit dinner and concert. Sir George is a legendary, six-time GRAMMY winner, and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 1996. He is best known to the world as “The Beatles†who signed them, and produced and arranged most all Beatles records.
 The president of the Grammy Foundation and The Recording Academy president/CEO Neil Portnow will present the award to Martin on “Starry Night.†“Throughout his legendary career, Sir George has had an impact on music and popular culture that is immeasurable,†said Portnow. “We look forward to paying tribute to a man who has had an indelible influence on generations of music lovers around the world.â€
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According to Grammy Foundation board chair Steve Schnur, “Sir George’s celebrated career has extended far beyond the recording studio. His is a lifetime commitment to both music and humanity, and it is only fitting that this year’s foundation leadership award honors one of the most iconic figures in music history.â€
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Martin is currently in pre-production with PBS and Wildheart Entertainment on the eight-part prime-time showcase series, “On The Record: The Soundtrack Of Our Lives.†This unique program traces the history of recorded music and its major impact on our popular culture. It will be hosted by Martin and narrated by two-time Academy-Award winning actor Kevin Spacey, and is slated to air on PBS nationally in fall 2010.
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The star-studded line-up for “Starry Night†includes Jeff Beck, Chris Botti, Natalie Cole, Tom Jones, Dave Grusin, Burt Bacharach, Jimmy Webb, Michael McDonald, and a few surprises. The dinner chairs include Sir Paul McCartney, Yoko Ono, Ringo Starr, and Olivia Harrison. Tickets start at $750 – and the gala will take place at McCarthy Quad on The University of Southern California campus.
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The Grammy Foundation’s annual signature gala “Starry Night†is presented by Gibson Foundation. On July 11, also at USC, there will be a special multimedia presentation by Martin on “The Making Of Sgt. Pepper†sponsored in part by Best Buy.