Kenny Gamble, Cecelia and Joe Tarsia, Kirk Imamura, SPARS president and president of Avatar Studios, New York
New York, NY (October 25, 2011)—Philadelphia recording studio impresario Joe Tarsia received the SPARS Legacy Award during the recent AES Convention.
The Mix@AES, held at New York’s newest hip event space, the Four-o-Four, was part of the 131st AES Convention activities and hosted by the Recording Academy P&E Wing, SPARS and APRS. Record Plant Studios, GC Pro, West LA Music and Westlake Pro sponsored the event.
Presenting the award to Tarsia was Kenny Gamble, half of the talented writing and producing duo of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. The songwriting team made Philadelphia the capital of soul music in the Seventies, with groups like the O’Jays, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, the Intruders, the Three Degrees, McFadden & Whitehead, Jerry Butler, Lou Rawls, Dee Dee Sharp, Phyllis Hyman and others.
SPARS President Kirk Imamura, president of Avatar Studios, NY, introduced Gamble. With over 180 gold and platinum records to his credit, Tarsia is best known as the “father of the Philadelphia sound.”
APRS, the UK recording association, also bestowed Sound Fellowship Awards to British producer legends Steve Lillywhite and Geoff Emerick. Lillywhite is the prolific UK producer of Peter Gabriel, U2, Big Country and Dave Matthews. Emerick is best known for his work with the Beatles, Paul McCartney, Supertramp, Art Garfunkel and Cheap Trick, to name a few. APRS executive director, Peter Filleul, was on hand to present the awards to Lillywhite and Emerick.
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