Ron Fair | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ronald Fair 1955 (age 70–71) Los Angeles,California, United States |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1970–present[1] |
| Labels | |
Spouse | |
Ronald Fair (born 1955)[2] is an Americanrecord producer,record executive,musical arranger,recording engineer andconductor. A traditional record producer since 1970, Fair has been credited with orchestral production work on several commercially successfulpop andR&B songs.
Fair has discovered and mentored recording artists includingChristina Aguilera,Vanessa Carlton,Keyshia Cole,Black Eyed Peas,Fergie, andthe Pussycat Dolls.[3][4] He has also held executive positions including manager of A&R atRCA Records, chairman ofGeffen Records, president ofA&M Records, and chief creative officer (CCO) ofVirgin Records.[5]
Fair was born inLos Angeles,California, United States to aJewish family.[6][7] Fair's childhood played an important role in his eventual career direction, saying in an interview withHitQuarters,"My grandfather was a broadcaster who had built a remote facility for the purpose of producing a daily radio broadcast. Ever since I was two years old I was around microphones and consoles."[8] During his childhood Fair was actively encouraged to pursue this career path, receiving various music tuition and being encouraged to take on the job training in multi-track recording.[8] By the time he was 17 years old he was, in his words, "Very skilled with microphone technique and able to make a pretty convincing sounding recording."[8] Fair's first job in the music industry was a short stint in the mailroom of Far Out Productions, in September 1979. Far Out Productions was the production company headed byJerry Goldstein and Steve Gold, and produced albums by, most notably,War andTanya Tucker.
Fair taught recording production at the University of Sound Arts[9] in Hollywood while at the same time developing a reputation as a motion picture musical soundtrack coordinator, with the multi-platinum successes ofPretty Woman andReality Bites.[10] In addition, during the early 1980s Fair worked as a recording engineer on such projects as theSlayer albumHell Awaits.[11]
During his career, Fair has produced various hit singles on the pop and R&B charts, including "Lady Marmalade" (Christina, Pink, Mýa, Lil' Kim), "Be Without You" (Mary J. Blige), "One" (Mary J. Blige & U2), "Big Yellow Taxi" (Counting Crows), "A Thousand Miles" (Vanessa Carlton), and "Where Is the Love?" (Black Eyed Peas). He was also the executive producer of "Beautiful" (Christina Aguilera), "Big Girls Don't Cry" (Fergie), "Let's Get It Started" (Black Eyed Peas), among others. He is credited with executive production on recordings that have won several Grammy Awards, including those ofChristina Aguilera,The Black Eyed Peas,Mary J. Blige andQueen Latifah.[3][4][12][13][14][15]
In 2009, Fair engineeredLady Gaga's single "Speechless," from her albumThe Fame Monster.[16] That same year, he also collaborated with Indian film composerA.R. Rahman to produce an English version of "Jai Ho", the hit song from the 2009 filmSlumdog Millionaire.[17]
Fair held the position of chairman atGeffen Records until joiningVirgin Records.[3] Prior to running Geffen Records, Fair was President ofA&M Records for five years, and held seniorA&R positions atRCA Records,Chrysalis Records,EMI Records, andIsland Records-London.[4]
In 2013, Fair was named thechief creative officer and Executive Vice President ofVirgin Records. At this position, he was in charge of a major corporate restructure.[18][19] After a year with the label, he left in October 2014.[20]
Fair was a celebrity judge on the Canadian television talent programCover Me Canada.[21]
In 2015, Fair served as executive producer forTLC'sself-titled fifth and final studio album.[22]
Ron Fair married singer-songwriterStefanie Ridel, a member of the girl groupWild Orchid, on September 4, 2001.[23] They have four children together. Fair enjoys gardening and has climbedMount Kilimanjaro.[4]
Notable Productions[24]
Film and television
| Year | Film[24] | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Star Search: The Next Generation | Himself | TV series |
| 2005 | UK Music Hall of Fame: Biggest Selling Artists of the 21st Century | Himself | TV documentary |
| 2007 | Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll | Judge | TV series |
| 2007 | The Pussycat Dolls: Live from Manchester Evening News Arena | Executive Producer | Video |
| 2008 | Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious | Judge and Executive Producer(6 episodes) | TV series |
| 2008 | E! True Hollywood Story | Himself | TV series documentary Ep:Pussycat Dolls |
| 2008 | Fox Reality Really Awards | Himself | TV series documentary |
| 2010 | American Idol | Himself | TV series - Episode: "Idol Gives Back/Top Seven Results" |
| 2011 | Inside: El DeBarge | Executive Producer | TV movie |
| 2011 | Living in La La Land[3] | Judge | TV series |
| 2011 | Cover Me Canada[3] | Judge | TV series |
