He died on his 83rd birthday.
Musical virtuoso and polymath Norman Dolph passed away as confirmed in a statement last Friday.
In the statement, Planetary Group confirmed that Dolph had died on May 11 in New Haven, Connecticut, after a battle with cancer.
“Touring galleries with someone who knew most of the artists personally was a privilege few people are lucky enough to experience,” added Invisible Hands Music owner Charles Kennedy, a close friend of Dolph’s.
“I will miss Norman greatly but his friendship and the wisdom he imparted along the way is an endless well that I will cherish forever.”
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Dolph was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1939 and found himself as a graduate of Yale with a degree in electrical engineering in 1960.
He was working as an account representative at Columbia records in 1967 and moonlighting as a DJ for his own mobile discothèque business when he became involved in New York’s vibrant art scene.
Naturally, he met Andy Warhol who informed him of a rock band he thought should make a record, The Velvet Underground.
Dolph bought studio time and oversaw the recording and the remix of the album that went on to become The Velvet Underground & Nico, but after being presented to and rejected by Columbia, it was destined for failure.
Despite its poor commercial and critical reception upon release, it went on to become one of the greatest albums of all time.
Dolph continued to produce, and even wrote and recorded for bands like K.C. and the Sunshine Band, Millie Jackson, Tracey Ullman, Bill Medley, and more.
Dolph died from cancer on May 11, 2022, his 83rd birthday.
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