Grammy Awards 2024

GRAMMY-winning music producer Phil McDonald has died at the age of 80.

The celebrated music veteran manned the desk for some of The Beatles’ greatest final records, shaping both the White Album and Abbey Road.

He also engineered iconic solo projects including John Lennon’s Imagine and George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass.

Phil’s stellar work on Abbey Road behind the scenes earned him a Grammy.

Born Philip John McDonald in Leeds on February 3 1946, he relocated to Earl’s Court in London with his family during the early 1960s.

Gifted with perfect pitch, he landed a job at EMI Studios in 1964, long before the legendary facility was renamed Abbey Road Studios in 1976.

Starting out in the tape library, he quickly progressed into the cutting rooms before ultimately securing his role as a tape operator and balance engineer.

His inaugural session with The Beatles took place on June 17 1965 to work on Yesterday.

Paul McCartney debuted the track to an exclusive audience of just two people: McDonald and producer George Martin.

The eventual collapse of The Beatles only caused his workload to surge.

Paul McCartney would sneak tapes from his secret debut solo album into Abbey Road’s Studio Three for McDonald to mix and edit.

At the exact same time, the tireless producer was stationed in Studio Two, assisting Ringo Starr with his album of standards, Sentimental Journey.

Phil Spector arrived on the scene a few months later with a mission to salvage the chaotic Let It Be sessions.

Working closely alongside McDonald, the pair successfully transformed the messy tapes into a releasable record.

Spector and McDonald went on to form a formidable studio partnership between the summers of 1970 and 1973.

Together, they delivered George Harrison’s sophomore solo effort, Living in the Material World, alongside the acclaimed All Things Must Pass.

During this highly productive window, McDonald also helped shape John Lennon’s initial post-Beatles output. He engineered both the John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band record and the legendary Imagine.

Away from the Fab Four, he recorded a raft of talent for EMI’s prog and folk imprint, Harvest.

His diverse roster included Roy Harper and Syd Barrett, with McDonald working on the latter’s 1970 release The Madcap Laughs.

He also proved instrumental in the studio for Linda Lewis, steering four of her albums between 1972 and 1975 and later secured credits on the landmark 1970 album Deep Purple in Rock.

That very same year, he collaborated with Eric Clapton to capture the defining Derek and the Dominos record, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs.

By 1973, he had secured his second Grammy nomination for his work on Harry Nilsson’s A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night.

Leaving the music business behind, Phil and his wife Sandra – who survives him – moved to New York in 2001 and remained in the US.

TAYLOR Swift gave a rare performance in front of a star-studded crowd as she kicked off a campaign to win her first Oscar.

The superstar, 36, sang a four-track set at the glitzy Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles on Saturday.

It included her single I Knew It, I Knew You, which was recorded for Toy Story 5 — and which Taylor hopes will be nominated for Best Original Song at the awards ceremony next March.

The singer made an impression in her custom Dior gown with platinum earrings featuring 32.40 carats of diamonds and a platinum bracelet.

Her look was created by Northern Irish fashion designer Jonathan Anderson, who was also behind the wedding dress she wore marrying American football player Travis Kelce three months ago.

Insiders believe Taylor was hoping the performance — which also included the live debut of her hit single The Fate of Ophelia — was her going the extra mile to woo Academy Award ­voters after several failed attempts to get an Oscar nomination in the past.

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She has released original tracks for a series of hit films over the years, including The Hunger Games, Fifty Shades Freed, and Cats, but has never qualified for the gong.

Her 15-minute All Too Well: The Short Film also failed to secure a nomination in 2023.

But I Knew It, I Knew You spent two weeks at No1 in the UK when it came out in June, making it Taylor’s most successful film track to date.

An industry insider said: “Taylor knows how Hollywood works and is keen to build goodwill and visibility among the people who vote for the Oscars.

“She’s made no secret of her ambition to win an Academy Award so is pulling out all the stops this year.”

If she does win an Oscar, it would bring her one step closer to one of the highest achievements in US showbiz: the EGOT — winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and a Tony.

Only 28 people have done so, and Taylor is halfway there, having bagged 14 Grammys and an Emmy.

She is also working on a musical which would put her in line for a Tony, the highest accolade in theatre.

A number of A-listers were at the fancy bash, considered LA’s answer to New York’s Met Gala.

Taylor chatted with several celebrity pals inside, including Sabrina Carpenter who wore a royal blue, backless dress with shoulder tassels.

Swift’s former foe Kim Kardashian, 45, was also at the event, channelling Elizabeth Taylor with a bouffant hairdo, an archival 1951 Balenciaga dress, and a 55.8-carat diamond necklace.

Meanwhile, actress Teyana Taylor, 35, wore a Schiaparelli torso bodysuit alongside Kylie Minogue, 58, who posed in a a slashed black gown.

Charlize Theron, 51, turned up to receive the Icon Award for her celebrated acting career.