From: hitsdailydouble.com

MICHAEL BERNIKER, 73, a prolific record producer with nine Grammy Awards, died last Friday in Great Barrington, MA, with complications from kidney disease. Best known for producing the first three Barbra Streisand albums on Columbia, Berniker also produced numerous Broadway cast albums and other pop artists, including Eydie Gorme, Johnny Mathis and Perry Como, as well as jazz performers Ben Webster, Charlie Rouse and Paquito D’Rivera. The Brooklyn-born Berniker enrolled in an in-house A&R training program at CBS Records in 1960 and went on to produce Latin jazz, spoken word, comedy and classical records. After leaving CBS in 1968, Berniker worked as an executive with several labels, including RCA, where he signed Daryl Hall and John Oates, Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band and Juice Newton. Returning to CBS in 1977, he originated the Columbia Jazz Masterpieces series. Said Daryl Hall: “I remember Mike’s mischievous sense of humor. He had the vision to sign Hall & Oates in the very early days, when we were relatively unproven. In regards to the music business, Mike was one of the good guys.” (7/29p)

View the article online.
Back