Tom Coyne, one of the most respected mastering engineers in the world, has died aged 62.
Coyne won multiple Grammy Awards for his work on LPs including Adele‘s 25 and 21, plus 1989 by Taylor Swift – as well as smash records such as Stay With Me by Sam Smith and Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars.
He also worked on US No.1 tracks for the likes of Justin Bieber and The Weeknd, plus hit records for acts including Ariana Grande, Beyoncé, Maroon 5, Tribe Called Quest, Britney Spears, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, One Direction and Ellie Goulding.
In the beginning of his career, Coyne cut records for dance bands, including the classic Ladies Night by Kool And The Gang (1979).
In 1989, Coyne started working at the Hit Factory where he spent five years mastering hip-hop and R&B records by the likes of Billy Ocean, Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul.
“This guy was the pair of ears we trusted to bring the music to you. Much love to his family and his children… thank you for all the lessons you’ve taught me Tom Coyne! Music Will Never Be The Same Again.”
Questlove
In 1994, he joined Sterling Sound, where he stayed for the remainder of his career. Four years after joining, Coyne participated in a management buyout of Sterling Sound to become a managing partner of the company.
The American engineer was born in Union, New Jersey. He died on Wednesday (April 12).
Coyne’s friend and client Questlove paid tribute to the engineer on Instagram today, writing:
“Man this hurts. The only dude I let master all of my product #TomCoyne passed away today. Coming to his mastering studio was always my fav part of making records. He was so patient w me ESPECIALLY the way the I get down with sequencing and segue timing on albums. He knew I placed songs in rhythm like they were being spun at a club so damn near every Roots album would take an unusual 40 hour process.”
Questlove added: “This guy was the pair of ears we trusted to bring the music to you. Much love to his family and his children… thank you for all the lessons you’ve taught me Tom Coyne!!!! Music Will Never Be The Same Again.”Music Business Worldwide