LOS ANGELES — Tommy LiPuma, a jazz and pop producer who won Grammys for collaborations with Natalie Cole and George Benson, has died. He was 80.

LiPuma died Monday in New York after a brief illness, according to the Decca/Verve Label Group, where he had served as chairman.

In a career spanning six decades, LiPuma’s productions won five Grammys and were nominated for 28 more, and saw sales of 75 million.

Diana Krall said that just a few weeks ago, she and LiPuma had put the finishing touches on her newest album, “Turn Up the Quiet,” which she called “a record of jazz and American popular song.”

“He understood the importance and challenges of where one could be as an artist,” Krall said. “He had tremendous respect for (who I was) as a 28-year-old, starting right out – to the 52-year-old woman I am right now.”

The two won a Grammy for her 2002 album “Live in Paris.”

He also won Grammys for Benson’s 1976 single “This Masquerade,” Cole’s 1991 album “Unforgettable … With Love” and McCartney’s 2012 concert DVD “Live Kisses.”


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.