Ron Fair
{{short description|American music executive}}
{{infobox musical artist
|name = Ron Fair
|background = non_performing_personnel
|birth_name = Ronald Fair
|birth_date =
|birth_place = Los Angeles, California, United States
|label = {{hlist|Virgin|Capitol|Geffen|A&M|Interscope|RCA}}
| occupation = {{hlist|Record producer|music executive|A&R|music arranger|conductor|audio engineer}}
| genre = {{hlist|Rock|pop|R&B}}
|years_active = 1970–present[http://www.narip.com/ron-fair Ron Fair Bio] NARIP. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
| spouse = {{marriage|Stefanie Ridel|2001}}
| associated_acts = {{hlist|Wild Orchid|Christina Aguilera|Keyshia Cole|The Pussycat Dolls|Vanessa Carlton}}
}}
Ronald Fair is an American record producer, record executive, musical arranger, recording engineer and conductor. A traditional record producer since 1970, Fair has been credited with orchestral production work on several commercially successful pop and R&B songs.
Fair has discovered and mentored recording artists including Christina Aguilera, Vanessa Carlton, Keyshia Cole, Black Eyed Peas, Fergie, and the Pussycat Dolls. He has also held executive positions including manager of A&R at RCA Records, chairman of Geffen Records, president of A&M Records, and chief creative officer (CCO) of Virgin Records.{{Cite web|url= https://celebmix.com/exclusive-interview-ron-fair-on-his-thousand-mile-journey-through-pop/|title=Interview with Ron Fair on his Thousand Mile Journey through Pop|date=14 May 2021 }}
Career
=Early career=
Fair was born in Los Angeles, California, United States to a Jewish family.{{cite web |author=Shane Bailey |url=http://www.bmusic.com.au/links/industry/archives/ararchiv/ronfair.html |title=Ron Fair |publisher=Bmusic.com.au |access-date=2010-06-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100804235031/http://www.bmusic.com.au/links/industry/archives/ararchiv/ronfair.html |archive-date=2010-08-04 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |last=Berrin |first=Danielle |date=January 25, 2013 |title=Music exec Ron Fair talks industry, Israel and his Yiddish Theatre heritage |url=https://jewishjournal.com/mobile_20111212/112309/music-exec-ron-fair-talks-industry-israel-and-his-yiddish-theatre-heritage/ |website=Jewish Journal}} Fair's childhood played an important role in his eventual career direction, saying in an interview with HitQuarters,
"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."{{cite web |url=http://www.hitquarters.com/index.php3?page=intrview/opar/intrview_Ron_Fair_Interview.html |title=Interview With Ron Fair |publisher=HitQuarters|date=19 Jun 2006 |access-date=18 May 2010}} 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. 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." 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 by Jerry Goldstein and Steve Gold, and produced albums by, most notably, War and Tanya Tucker.
Fair taught recording production at the University of Sound Arts{{Cite web|url=http://www.sleazeroxx.com/interviews/greif.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929001925/http://www.sleazeroxx.com/interviews/greif.shtml|url-status=dead|title=Sleaze Roxx|archive-date=29 September 2011|access-date=22 January 2021}} in Hollywood while at the same time developing a reputation as a motion picture musical soundtrack coordinator, with the multi-platinum successes of Pretty Woman and Reality Bites.[http://www.bmusic.com.au/links/industry/archives/ararchiv/ronfair.html RON FAIR] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100804235031/http://www.bmusic.com.au/links/industry/archives/ararchiv/ronfair.html |date=2010-08-04 }}, Doug Minnick, Bmusic.com.au, undated. In addition, during the early 1980s Fair worked as a recording engineer on such projects as the Slayer album Hell Awaits.[http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/music/Hell-Awaits-Slayer-Slagel-Fair/039841403121-item.html?cookieCheck=1 Hell Awaits, Chapters.Indigo.ca] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319205315/http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/music/Hell-Awaits-Slayer-Slagel-Fair/039841403121-item.html?cookieCheck=1 |date=2012-03-19 }}, (retrieved September 13, 2011)
=A&R career=
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 of Christina Aguilera, The Black Eyed Peas, Mary J. Blige and Queen Latifah.{{cite web |url=http://www.universalmusic.com/corporate/news35380 |title=ACCLAIMED PRODUCER, MUSICIAN AND LABEL EXECUTIVE RON FAIR PROMOTED TO CHAIRMAN OF GEFFEN RECORDS |year=2006 |publisher=Universal Music Group|access-date=13 September 2011}}{{cite web |url=http://www.songwriteruniverse.com/jimvellutato123.htm |title=Special Interview with Jim Vellutato, Vice President of A&R at Sony/ATV Music Publishing |author=Dale Kawashima |publisher=SongWriter Universe |access-date=13 September 2011}}{{cite web |url=http://www.discogs.com/Black-Eyed-Peas-The-Lets-Get-It-Started/release/1544258 |title=Black Eyed Peas, The* – Let's Get It Started |website=Discogs.com |access-date=13 September 2011}}{{cite web |url=https://www.grammy.com/artists/ron-fair/16671 |title=Grammy Awards for Ron Fair |year=2023}}
In 2009, Fair engineered Lady Gaga's single "Speechless," from her album The Fame Monster.{{cite magazine|last=Hiatt|first=Brian|date=2009-10-21|magazine=Rolling Stone|url=http://rollingstone.com/news/story/30583202/inside_the_monster_ball_lady_gaga_reveals_plans_for_ambitious_new_tour|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091024061310/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/30583202/inside_the_monster_ball_lady_gaga_reveals_plans_for_ambitious_new_tour|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 24, 2009|title=Inside The Monster Ball: Lady Gaga Reveals Plans for Ambitious New Tour}} That same year, he also collaborated with Indian film composer A.R. Rahman to produce an English version of "Jai Ho", the hit song from the 2009 film Slumdog Millionaire.{{Cite journal|first=Ethan|last=Smith|title='Slumdog' Remix: The Oscar-winning song 'Jai Ho' is reworked with help from a Pussycat Doll|journal=The Wall Street Journal|date=February 27, 2009|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123568984902087603|access-date=2009-03-01}}
Fair held the position of chairman at Geffen Records until joining Virgin Records. Prior to running Geffen Records, Fair was President of A&M Records for five years, and held senior A&R positions at RCA Records, Chrysalis Records, EMI Records, and Island Records-London.
In 2013, Fair was named the chief creative officer and Executive Vice President of Virgin Records. At this position, he was in charge of a major corporate restructure.{{cite web|last=Aswad|first=Jem|title=Ron Fair Named Chief Creative Officer, EVP of Virgin Records|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ron-fair-named-chief-creative-415012|work=news|date=24 January 2013|publisher=hollywoodreporter.com|access-date=2013-08-21}}{{cite web|title=RON FAIR NAMED CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER/EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, VIRGIN RECORDS|url=http://www.universalmusic.com/corporate/detail/2379|website=Universalmusic.com|access-date=2013-08-21}} After a year with the label, he left in October 2014.{{cite magazine|last1=Halperin|first1=Shirley|title=Ron Fair Exits Virgin Records|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/6289214/ron-fair-exits-virgin-records|magazine=Billboard|date=21 October 2014|access-date=2015-03-22}}
Fair was a celebrity judge on the Canadian television talent program Cover Me Canada.[http://www.cbc.ca/covermecanada/host_judges.html Cover Me Canada, cbc.ca], (retrieved November 8, 2011)
In 2015, Fair served as executive producer for TLC's self-titled fifth and final studio album.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/6458086/tlc-new-album-details-ron-fair-producing|title=Veteran Producer Ron Fair to Exec-Produce TLC's New Album|magazine=Billboard|date=30 January 2015|access-date=22 January 2021}}
Personal life
Ron Fair married singer-songwriter Stefanie Ridel, a member of the teen girl group Wild Orchid, on September 4, 2001.{{cite web |url=http://wildorchid.8m.com/main2009.html |title=The Most Up to Date Information on Wild Orchard|website=Wildorchid.8m.com |access-date=13 September 2011}} They have four children together. Fair enjoys gardening and has notably climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.{{cite web |url=http://www.aes.org/events/117/specialevents/ronfairbio.cfm |title=117th AES CONVENTION BIOGRAPHY OF RON FAIR |year=2004 |publisher=Audio Engineering Society |access-date=13 September 2011}}
Discography
- 1990: Pretty Woman Soundtrack (Executive producer)
- 1992: White Men Can't Jump Soundtrack (Executive producer)
- 1994: Reality Bites Soundtrack (Executive producer)
- 1994: Dumb & Dumber Soundtrack (Executive producer)
- 2001: Legally Blonde Soundtrack (Executive producer)
- 2002: Christina Aguilera - "Beautiful" (Executive producer)
- 2002: Vanessa Carlton - "A Thousand Miles"
- 2003: The Black Eyed Peas - "Where Is The Love?"
- 2004: Vickie Natale - Like No Other (Executive producer)
- 2004: The Black Eyed Peas - "Let's Get It Started" (Executive producer)
- 2005: Keyshia Cole - The Way It Is (Executive producer)
- 2005: Pussycat Dolls - PCD (Executive producer)
- 2006: Fergie - "Big Girls Don't Cry"
- 2006: Gwen Stefani - The Sweet Escape (Executive producer)
- 2007: Keyshia Cole - Just Like You (Executive producer)
- 2008: Keyshia Cole - A Different Me (Executive producer)
- 2009: Lady Gaga - "Speechless"
- 2009: Pussycat Dolls - "Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)"
- 2010: Keyshia Cole - Calling All Hearts (Executive producer)
Filmography
Film and television
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0265426}}
- [http://www.discogs.com/artist/Ron+Fair Ron Fair discographie at Discogs.com]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fair, Ron}}
Category:American music industry executives
Category:Record producers from California
Category:Songwriters from California