One of the most famous record producers by virtue of his groundbreaking work with the Beatles, George Martin was also an influential A&R man. He joined EMI Records in 1950 at a junior level, and by 1955 he was head of Parlophone, where he produced a variety of artists including Shirley Bassey. In 1962, he signed the Beatles and began an almost decade-long relationship that lasted until their demise. Martin's most telling contributions were the classical music touches he added, and the unique studio manipulations on Revolver and Sgt. Pepper's. He also released two orchestral albums of Beatles tunes. In 2006 he collaborated with his son Giles on the Cirque du Soleil show LOVE, creating an award-winning soundtrack of seamlessly merged Beatles songs. ~ Paula Carino
