Edward Cherney (1950 – October 22, 2019) was an American

recording engineer An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a recording or a live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization, dynamics processing and audio effects, mixing, reproducti ...

and

record producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure. Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

, based in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

, California, United States. Over his career, he earned four

Grammy award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

s, one

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

, and five TEC Awards. Cherney was also known within the film world for his work on '' A Mighty Wind'', '' The Bourne Legacy'', and '' Fast Times at Ridgemont High''.

Biography

Early career

Cherney grew up in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Roc ...

, United States. After finishing college, he considered going to law school. He was a hobby musician growing up, but never a professional one. A group of friends had a band, and were about to go on the road. They asked Cherney if he would drive the truck and roadie for them. One day while on the road, the soundman did not show up to a gig and Cherney ended up mixing the band. The gig went well, and he realized he had an affinity for mixing audio. Later that summer, the band invited him into the studio for his first time. A bell went off and Cherney immediately realized that this was what he was meant to do. Instead of going to law school, Cherney enrolled in

DeVry University DeVry University () is a private for-profit university with its headquarters in Naperville, Illinois. It was founded in 1931 by Herman A. DeVry and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. DeVry is predominantly an online educator bu ...

to study electronics. He continued working with bands before landing a job at a local P.A. company in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

. In an industry magazine, he read about a recording course taught by producer/engineer Bruce Swedien. While attending the course, Cherney befriended Swedien, and started to follow him around studios in Chicago. Cherney landed his first studio job as an apprentice engineer at Paragon Recording Studios in Chicago - working his way up the ranks over the next three years.

1978 to 2019

After leaving Paragon Recording Studios, Cherney moved to

. He called around to local studios, and landed a job as an assistant engineer at

Westlake Recording Studios Westlake Recording Studios is a music recording studio in West Hollywood, California. History Westlake Recording Studios was founded in the early 1970s by the American audio engineer Tom Hidley under the name Westlake Audio. Hidley was experienc ...

. After about a month at Westlake, Bruce Swedien and

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...

came into the studio to work on

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

's '' Off the Wall'' record. Cherney worked as an assistant engineer for the producer/engineer pair for the next 6 years. Cherney went on to engineer records for

Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the " Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band The Stooges, who w ...

Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer and guitarist. In 1971, Raitt released her self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums that incorporate ...

, Sting, Eric Clapton,

Jann Arden Jann Arden (born Jann Arden Anne Richards; March 27, 1962) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and actress. She is famous for her signature ballads, " Could I Be Your Girl" and " Insensitive", which is her biggest hit to date. Early life and educa ...

, Jackson Browne,

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

Wynton Marsalis Wynton Learson Marsalis (born October 18, 1961) is an American trumpeter, composer, teacher, and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has promoted classical and jazz music, often to young audiences. Marsalis has won nine Grammy Awar ...

, Lenny Kravitz, Keb' Mo', Buddy Guy and many more. Cherney worked out of his personal studio, "Studio Ed", at The Village. Cherney joined the McNally Smith College of Music board of directors on April 6, 2011. He died from cancer on October 22, 2019. Cherney lived in the historic 1906 Venice Canals. Cherney served on the Venice Canals Association Board of Directors. The VCA served to protect, preserve and enhance the historic Venice Canals.

Awards and honors

Cherney had more than 350 album credits, five

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

nominations, four Grammy wins, an

, and five TEC Awards After winning five TEC Awards, he was inducted into the TEC Awards Hall of Fame in 2015.

Grammy Awards

Emmy Awards

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cherney, Ed 1950 births 2019 deaths Grammy Award winners Emmy Award winners Record producers from California People from Chicago DeVry University alumni