Producer Don DeVito, who was most famed for his work with Bob Dylan, has died at the age of 72. According to the BBC, DeVito - who also worked in A&R and as a music executive - passed away following a 16 year battle with prostate cancer. The news was confirmed in a statement released by Columb...
Producer Don DeVito, who was most famed for his work with Bob Dylan, has died at the age of 72.
According to the BBC, DeVito – who also worked in A&R and as a music executive – passed away following a 16 year battle with prostate cancer. The news was confirmed in a statement released by Columbia Records.
After starting his career with CBS, he moved to Columbia and produced some of Dylan’s most iconic albums, including his 1975 LP ‘Blood On The Tracks’. The pair would also work together on studio albums such as ‘Desire’ (1976) and ‘Street-Legal’ (1978), as well as live albums such as 1976’s ‘Hard Rain’.
In 1981, DeVito was appointed National Vice President of A&R for Columbia and was nominated for five Grammy Awards in his career, finally winning the prize in 1989 for his work on ‘Folkways – A Vision Shared: A Tribute To Woody Guthrie And Leadbelly’.
He also worked with other artists including Bruce Springsteen, Simon & Garfunkel and Aerosmith before retiring four years ago.
The Recording Academy paid tribute to DeVito, who retired four years ago, by describing him as “a multifaceted talent” who “made a lasting impact on our industry”. The producer is survived by his wife Carolyn and two children, Marissa and James.
Latest music and film news on Uncut.co.uk.
Uncut have teamed up with Sonic Editions to curate a number of limited-edition framed iconic rock photographs, featuring the likes of Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan and The Clash. View the full collection here.