Record producer and label executive Hugh Fordin died of cardiac arrest at 83 at his home in New Jersey on Feb. 26. In addition to his own Best Musical Show Album win at the 44th GRAMMY Awards for The Producers, the label he founded in 1976, DRG Records released distinguished albums that brought GRAMMY wins to legends including Gerry Mulligan and Patti Page.

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Hailing Fordin as an "exceptional" and "versatile" producer, Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow noted that "he achieved success as both a producer and label executive. He will be deeply missed, but remembered for crafting dynamic records for the theater community." Fordin's other GRAMMY-nominated cast albums include Flower Drum Song, Guys And Dolls, Kiss Me Kate, The Music Man, and Wonderful Town.

This Producers-producer's engineer since 1985, Cynthia Daniels shared in Fordin's GRAMMY win. "No other record company or producer filled this particular space for the recorded version of these timeless songs," she told The New York Times. Fordin was also the author of two books, about the musicals of MGM as well as a biography of lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II. Daniels also recalled times in the studio with Fordin when "I would inevitably hear chuckling and then everyone in the room break into laughter."

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