George Marino passed away today and will be sorely missed by the music industry. Only last year he won a Grammy for mastering the 2011 Album of the Year “Suburbs” by Arcade Fire!

George joined Sterling Sound in the summer of 1973 where he has worked on many of the industry’s most influential albums including recent Billboard chart toppers like Coldplay’s “Parachutes”, Bon Jovi’s “Lost Highway”, The Offspring’s “Rise & Fall, Rage & Grace”, Three Doors Down’s eponymous release and Arctic Monkey’s “Favourite Worst Nightmare” as well as Billboard classics including Journey’s “Frontiers”, Cyndi Lauper’s “She’s So Unusual”, eponymous releases by both Kiss and The Cars, Motley Crue’s “Dr. Feelgood” and Guns N’ Roses “Appetite for Destruction”.

George started as a musician, playing rock n’ roll guitar in New York City bands. His first job in the industry was as a librarian and assistant at Capitol Studios in 1967. He then apprenticed in the mastering department, helping cut rock, pop, jazz and classical albums. When Capitol shut down its New York studio, and before heading to Sterling Sound, George joined the fledgling Record Plant, eventually becoming a partner in the recording-mastering studio. There he quickly established his reputation with projects such as Don McLean’s “American Pie” and classic albums by the Allman Brothers Band and Stevie Wonder.

George - rest in peace.