Edward J. Greene, a 22-time Emmy-winning mixer in television production and postproduction and longtime Cinema Audio Society board member, died August 9 in Los Angeles. He was 82.
“The Sound community has lost an icon,” said Cinema Audio Society President Mark Ulano. “And the CAS Board has lost the voice of someone who held a vast knowledge of the history and evolution of live sound recording. Ed was a mentor to many of today’s sound mixers and he will be greatly missed. Our heartfelt condolences are with his family.”
Greene mixed some of the most highly regarded music, variety and award shows and live drama episodes and specials including ER, Fail Safe and The West Wing Live. He won 22 Emmy Awards and 61 nominations, ranking him third for most nominations and second for most wins by an individual. He was a member of the Television Academy when it formed its current incarnation in 1977, and served Governor of the Sound Peer Group from 2013-15, according to CAS.
He won a CAS Award in 2003 for sound mixing on the XIX Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony. He was nominated for four CAS Awards for his work on American Idol, The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts and two Grammy Awards telecasts.
Other live productions on which Greene worked include he Oscars, Tony Awards and SAG Awards. He also mixed the Live from Lincoln Center specials, Carnegie Hall Live at 100, numerous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day and Tournament of Roses parades, The AFI Life Achievement Awards, The 52nd Presidential Inaugural Gala, The 1996 Summer Olympics, The 2002 Winter Olympics Opening and Closing Ceremonies and years of American Idol.
Born and raised in New York City, Greene began his professional audio career with a summer job in 1954 at Allegro Studios in New York doing voice and piano demos for music publishers. Within two years the studio was doing full recording sessions. After a stint in the Army, he co-founded Edgewood Studios in Washington, with radio and television commentator Charles Osgood (who retired last year) and composer George Wilkins. Some of his recordings include Charlie Byrd and Stan Getz’s “Jazz Samba” and Ramsey Lewis’ “The In Crowd.”
In 1970, Greene moved to California as chief engineer for MGM Records and worked with Sammy Davis Jr., the Osmonds and Lou Rawls, among other prominent artists of the time. He was brought into television mixing by Frank Sinatra. In 2004 he participated in the Oral History Project of the Audio Engineering Society. He also taught for many years at the Summer Recording Institute program at the Eastman School of Music, in Rochester, NY.
Greene served on the Board of Directors of the Cinema Audio Society from 2005 until his death. In 2007, he was presented with the CAS Career Achievement Award. He previously served as a Governor of the Sound Branch of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
Greene is survived by his wife of 30 years, Lynne Cruise; and his children, Grant, Sam, Lynda and Larry in Los Angeles; and his brother David in Toronto. A memorial service will be held at a later date.
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