Calvin Lawrence Harris was an American

sound engineer An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a sound recording, recording or a Concert, live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization (audio), equalization, Dynamic range ...

and the head of the recording department at Motown. He worked on projects such as Marvin Gaye's hit album ''What's Going On'', The Beach Boys' single “ Good Vibrations”, and Lionel Richie's Grammy award-winning album ''Can't Slow Down''. He is the father of jazz musician Cal Harris Jr. and programmer/keyboard technician Eric Harris.

Biography

Cal Harris Sr. was born on August 9, 1941, in

Marshall, Michigan Marshall is a city and the county seat of Calhoun County, Michigan. The population was 6,822 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Marshall is best known for its cross-section of 19th- and early 20th-century architecture and as the futu ...

. He began his musical career at

Gold Star Studios Gold Star Studios was an independent recording studio located in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, California. In its entire history, Gold Star was one of the most successful commercial recording studios in the world. Founded by David S. Gold ...

in Los Angeles, as an intern for

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their f ...

. His work for at Gold Star gained him the recognition to get hired by

Motown Records Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...

in the late 1960s. At Motown he became the head of the recording department. He died on August 14, 2017, in a California hospital due to natural causes.

Working at Motown Records

As the head of the recording department at Motown, Cal Harris Sr. was tasked with managing the team of sound engineers employed by Motown. As well as finding/hiring new engineers and technicians. Within his discography Cal is credited for remix, recording engineer, mixing engineer, and even as a producer on the 1977 album '' Rarearth'' by American rock band Rare Earth. With

Lionel Richie Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of the Motown group Commodores; writing and recor ...

, Cal Harris recorded ''Can't Slow Down'', which went on to win the Grammy award for album of the year 1984. Due to the success of the album he was also nominated for a TEC award in 1985. Cal Harris at the 1985 Grammys

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Cal 1941 births 2017 deaths People from Marshall, Michigan American audio engineers 20th-century births Motown people