One of Cleveland's beloved native sons has passed away at the age of 80. Monday evening 5-time Grammy-winning producer - Tommy LiPuma - died after a brief illness. During his long career LiPuma worked with record labels like Warner Brothers and Verve, producing records by Miles Davis, Natalie Cole, Barbra Streisand and Paul McCartney.
George Benson's Breezin' was a signature hit of his in the 1970's, while in the 1990's LiPuma helped launch the career of Diana Krall. Here in Northeast Ohio, he was generous with his time and attention to the Tri-C Jazz Fest and today Tri-C's Center for Creative Arts bears his name.
In 2003, ideatream's Dee Perry spent an hour with Tommy LiPuma looking back on his life in Cleveland, how he went from the barbershop to the recording studio, and his philosophy on making music.
Listen to Dee Perry's interview with the Grammy-award-winning Cleveland music producer in the above link .
Tommy LiPuma, music producer
