Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin was born on 10/03/1963 in Long Beach, New York. His full birth name was Frederick Jay Rubin. He would grow up in Lido Beach, New York. He studied at Long Beach High School where he was taught to write songs and play the guitar by the school's audiovisual director Steve Freeman. Rubin formed a band with his friends Marc Greenhut, Carlos Ferreiro and Joey Ferrante doing garage and school shows. Freeman would help Rubin form a punk band called The Pricks. The Pricks would create a publicity stunt when they staged their show being shut down at CBGB. They had friends heckle them to start a confrontation and Rubin's father wore his Lido Beach auxiliary police uniform as he attempted to "shut down" the gig.Rubin founded Def Jam Records in his senior year and would use the school's four track recorder. Rubin formed the art-core band, Hose.
In 1982, Hose released their first single. It was the first release on Def Jam Records and was packaged in a brown paper bag with no label. The band would play on the New York punk scene and tour the Midwest and California. They would play alongside bands such as Meat Puppets, Hüsker Dü, Circle Jerks, Butthole Surfers and Minor Threat.
In 1983, Rubin and Zulu Nation's DJ Jazzy Jay produced the song "It's Yours" for rapper T La Rock. Jazzy Jay would introduce Rubin to concert promoter/artist manager Russell Simmons in a club.
In 1984, Hose split up. Also in 1984, Simmons and Rubin edged out Jazzy Jay as they officially founded the Def Jam record label. Rubin was attending New York University at the time. Also in 1984, the new label released its first record with LL Cool J's song "I Need a Beat". The second single to be released was the Beastie Boy's "Rock Hard". Rubin went out to find more hip hop artists for the label which led to Public Enemy signing to Def Jam.
In 1986, Run-D.M.C. performed a cover of Aerosmith's song "Walk This Way" with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry guesting on guitar. Rubin had suggested the remake when working on Run-D.M.C's album "Raising Hell" and co-produced the song. The song would help break hip-hop music into the mainstream. Rubin would work with Aerosmith on a few demos during the year but it only resulted in a few rough studio jams. Also in 1986, Rubin started working with metal band Slayer.
In 1987, Rubin produced The Cult's album "Electric". Also in 1987, Rubin was the music supervisor for the film "Less Than Zero" and produced its soundtrack.
In 1988, Rubin directed and co-wrote a Run D.M.C film called "Tougher Than Leather". In the same year, Rubin and Simmons went their different ways after Rubin had a falling out with Def Jam president Lyor Cohen. Rubin moved to Los Angeles, California and started Def American Records, whilst Simmons stayed in New York with Def Jam. Rubin signed rock and metal acts such as Danzig, Masters of Reality, The Four Horsemen, and Wolfsbane. He also signed alternative rock group The Jesus and Mary Chain, rap group the Geto Boys and stand-up comedian Andrew Dice Clay. He would continue to work with Public Enemy, LL Cool J and Run–D.M.C amongst others.
In 1991, Rubin produced Red Hot Chili Pepper's first album for Warner Bros. Records, "Blood Sugar Sex Magik". He would go on to record six studio albums with them up till 2011.
In 1993, Rubin held a funeral for the word "def" after finding it had been accepted into the dictionary. Def American became American Recordings.
In 1994, Rubin produced the Johnny Cash album "American Recordings". The album would be a great success and revitalise Cash's career. Rubin would produce five more Cash albums "Unchained", "Solitary Man", "The Man Comes Around", "A Hundred Highways" and "Ain't No Grave". Also in 1994, Rubin produced the Tom Petty album "Wildflowers".
In 1998, Rubin won the Grammy award for Best Country Album for his work on "Unchained" by Johnny Cash.
In 2003, the Johnny Cash song "Give My Love to Rose" which Rubin had produced won a Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. Also in 2003, Joe Strummer's posthumously released last album "Streetcore" was released which featured two songs produced by Rubin.
In 2007, Rubin was named co-head of Columbia Records. In the same year, Rubin co-produced Linkin Park's album "Minutes to Midnight". Also in 2007, Rubin won the Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical. He would also win the Grammy's for Best Country Album and Album of the Year for his work on The Dixie Chick's "Taking the Long Way"; Record of the Year for The Dixie Chick's song "Not Ready to Make Nice" and Best Rock Album for Red Hot Chili Pepper's "Stadium Arcadium".
In 2009, Rubin won another Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical.
In 2012, Rubin won the Grammy for Album of the Year for producing Adele's album "21". Also in 2012, Rubin left Columbia and revived the American Records imprint in a deal with Republic Records. The first albums released were ZZ Top's "La Futura" and The Avett Brother's "The Carpenter".
In 2013, Rubin produced the final Black Sabbath studio album "13".