studionews OBITUARY Gerry Bron (1933-2012) By Jim Evans
PRODUCER ANDmusic business entrepreneur Gerry Bron has died aged 79. The founder and co-owner
of Bronze Records, he was closely involved in the late ’70s/early ’80s with the recording careers of Uriah Heep, Juicy Lucy, Richard Barnes and Colosseum, and Hawkwind. He also ran London’s Roundhouse Recording Studios in its heyday and later moved into producer/studio management. Bronze Records gained a reputation for hedonistic promotions. The label had its own associated airline and would fly music industry hacks and radio promo people round Europe to check out Bronze acts. There would later be analogies between Uriah Heep and the ‘rockumentary’ movie This is Spinal Tap.
Gerry Bron: “A one-off, a unique character”
Grammy award-winning engineer Alan Branch worked with Bron at Roundhouse. “Gerry was a one-off, a unique character,” says Branch. “Roundhouse was one of the classic studios of its time – shag pile carpets up the wall and everything. And it worked. Gerry was a business man as much as a producer and had his ups and downs, but
I found him a good boss. He gave me my break into the business for which I remain eternally grateful.” Producer/engineer Paul Borg comments: “Gerry played a significant role in my career for many years. He was a strong and influential figure within the music industry, and those that knew him personally will have been touched by his warmth and love for his family.”n
OBITUARY Keith Grant (1941-2012) By Jim Evans
ONE OF the recording industry’s more colourful characters, Keith Grant has died aged 71. Grant was a seminal
figure in the history of recording – not only as a consequence of his own work, but as a result of the positive influence he had, as chief engineer and manager of London’s famous Olympic Studios, on other engineers and producers. Keith recorded top artists across the
musical spectrum including The Beatles, Dusty Springfield, Procol Harum, Barbra Streisand, Cream and George Martin to name but a few. Studio One at Olympic also rapidly became a favourite venue for what would be considered a who’s who of the UK record business – The Rolling Stones,
Keith Grant: “A truly inspirational man”
The Who, Pink Floyd, The Eagles, Jimi Hendrix, Queen and Led Zeppelin all recorded in there. As well as being a consummate recording engineer across many genres, Keith was also mentor to a great many house engineers. Prolific production sound
mixer Alan O’Duffy worked with Keith at Olympic and
says: “I have hundreds of fond memories of Keith. The man should have had an OBE for his services to the industry. He gave me my first job as a tape op and I am forever grateful. He was a lovely character and a truly inspirational man, loved by many. We will miss him.” Composer Chris Gunning adds: “We
all owe Keith so much. He became a great friend, so much so that he was my best man. He was extraordinary in so many ways.”n