2016 continues to be a year of mourning in the music industry and this one, personally hits hard as Sir George Martin has passed away at the age of 90. The “fifth Beatle” as he was widely referred to died “peacefully at home” according to reports. The producer of the Beatles and the man who helped bring their sound to life was a pure genius and regarded as one of the finest and most intelligent people in the business. I encourage you to take some time today to learn a bit more about Sir George Martin and the impact he’s had over his lifetime.
For me it obviously began with my parents playing The Beatles music growing up and continuously being surrounded by it. Then it was 10 years ago in Las Vegas when Cirque du Soleil announced a collaboration for The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil and having a chance to sit through dress rehearsals and media days (I was assisting on the PR end as the company I worked for handled PR for Cirque) and listen to how the soundtrack for the show came together and how Sir George Martin worked with his son Giles to put together one of the most incredible arrangements I had ever heard. This was also the time when Apple Corps didn’t own the original catalog of The Beatles’ music, Michael Jackson did and so the two Martin’s were using outtakes, other recordings, etc. and still delivered an amazing 90 minutes of music for Cirque du Soleil to perform with. Then in 2014 I had a crazy idea, could I bring together my favorite show, The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil and the Las Vegas Philharmonic Orchestra for a first time performance at Life is Beautiful? This wild pipe dream became a reality thanks to Giles Martin and the team at Cirque du Soleil and of course the LV Phil. Giles rewrote the score for this 30 minute performance and it was an incredible moment and one that I will never forget.
We lost a legend. A man who not only changed the way we listened and fell in love with music but also a man who was regarded as one of the best. We lost a Beatle today. May you rest in peace Sir George Martin.
Do You Hear The Music? 
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