As of 2014, Ezrin continued to work as a record producer, arranger and songwriter, in addition to being involved with a variety of other projects in digital media, live production, film, television, and theatrical production.[7][8][9]
Ezrin has been described by Alice Cooper as "our George Martin".[11] Following his first production work on an album with Love it to Death in 1971, Ezrin embarked on a long-term collaboration that, by 1973, would see the release of the number one album Billion Dollar Babies, a year after the success of School's Out; Cooper subsequently became established as one of the biggest acts in the world.[12] After the disbanding of Cooper's group, Ezrin continued his collaboration with Cooper, as the latter embarked upon a solo career. In 1975, Cooper released the Ezrin-produced album, Welcome To My Nightmare. Ezrin worked with Cooper not just as a producer, but also as a co-writer, arranger, and musician.[13]
Ezrin produced the best-selling KISS album Destroyer in 1976.[14] As explained by Peter Criss during an interview in the documentary KISS: Krazy Killer (1994), Ezrin co-wrote, arranged and performed the piano accompaniment to the song "Beth".[15] Ezrin proceeded to produce two other albums with the band -- Music from "The Elder" and Revenge—and remains close to the band's members in the 21st century.[16]
In 2012, Ezrin remixed KISS's 1976 album Destroyer, which by then had gone Double Platinum.[21] Also, he produced albums for 2Cellos and rock legends Deep Purple.[22] Bob worked with the band Phish on their 2014 release, Fuego.[23] They reunited for the band's next album, Big Boat, released in 2016.[24] Ezrin worked with Andrea Bocelli on Sì, Bocelli's first No. 1 album, both in the UK and USA.[25]
In 1993, Ezrin co-founded a computer software company called 7th Level,[28] which developed and published educational and entertainment CD-ROMs, including a series of Monty Python games.[29]
In 1999, Ezrin co-founded Enigma Digital,[30] an internet radio provider, that was eventually sold to Clear Channel; Ezrin was later appointed vice-chairman of Clear Channel Interactive.[31] Ezrin was also Chairman of Live Nation Artists Recordings in 2007 and the first half of 2008.
In 2009, Ezrin, along with Garth Richardson and Kevin Williams,[32] co-founded the Nimbus School of Recording Arts in Vancouver.[33] Ezrin stated that his goal was to provide new engineers and producers with the hands-on teaching experience that he believed was no longer available from traditional recording studios.[34]
Philanthropy
Ezrin is a board member of the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation,[citation needed] a national initiative that supports music in US schools by donating musical instruments to under-funded music programs. He is also an Advisory Committee member of MusiCounts, the musical education initiative of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, that provides instruments to Canadian school music programs.[35]
He is co-founder, with U2's The Edge, of Music Rising, an initiative to preserve the musical culture of the Gulf coast region following the damage caused by the hurricanes and flooding of 2005.[36]
On February 18, 2010, Ezrin helped with the mobilization of the Young Artists for Haiti group. Fifty Canadian artists recorded a rendition of hip hop star K'naan's "Wavin' Flag" for the victims of the Haiti quake.[37] The song was reworked by Ezrin to include specific lyrics for Haiti, with proceeds disseminated to Free the Children, War Child Canada, and World Vision Canada. The production raised over US$2 million.[38] K'naan explained in regard to the initiation of the project: "I got a call from Randy [Lennox, president] at Universal [Music Canada] and Bob Ezrin. They had this idea that they wanted to do something lasting, that actually educates young people in Canada about Haiti and not let the fatigue of the subject wash over everybody and everybody just forget Haiti."[37]
He is also a member of the Board of the Canadian Journalism Foundation, which promotes, celebrates and facilitates excellence in journalism.
As of 2022, Bob is engaged as a Canadian climate activist.[40][41][42]
Film and television
In 1982, Ezrin briefly appeared as the host of Enterprise, a City-TV panel show that replaced Dr. Morton Shulman'sThe Shulman File; he has also been a frequent interviewee for documentary films and television.[43] Ezrin has created new theatrical, television, and live events with RadicalMedia, based in New York, including Jay-Z's feature film, Fade to Black.[44] In 2012, Ezrin appeared in Artifact, a documentary film about the modern music business focused on the legal battle between Thirty Seconds to Mars and record label EMI.
In 2011, Ezrin and Young Artist for Haiti won the Juno Award in Canada for "Single of the Year".[48] Also in 2011, he was awarded an "Outstanding Contribution" at the Classic Rock Magazine Awards.[49] In 2013, he was honoured with a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto.[50]
In late 2022, Ezrin was named an Officer of the Order of Canada, "For his ongoing contributions to music and entertainment production, and for his sustained advocacy of musical education, journalism and environmental justice."[53]
Nine Inch Nails: The Fragile (1999) – album sequencing ("I'd never examined what I was actually saying with these 20-something songs," Trent Reznor observed. "Then I realised it could be looked at as two acts. I see Ezrin as he's leaving my studio and I say, 'Bob, you did it, man!' and he says, 'Yeah, I know – I got a flight to catch.' We hugged each other and that was it."[55]
^Rustycat (November 12, 2006). "Bob Ezrin: Legendary Music Producer". The Plugg Music and Entertainment Community. The Plugg Music Blog. Archived from the original on February 10, 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2012.
^"Hall of Fame 2004". Juno Awards. Canadian Music Hall of Fame. 2004. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
^Dave Sloan (August 21, 2012). "New Music Tuesday". Let's Not Get Carried Away. WordPress. Archived from the original on September 8, 2012. Retrieved November 29, 2012.
^"Alice Cooper Biography". Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. 2012. Archived from the original on June 13, 2011. Retrieved November 29, 2012.
^Russell Hall (January–February 2002). "Bob Ezrin". Performing Songwriter. Be Heard. Retrieved November 29, 2012.
^"Nimbus' Founders". Nimbus School of Recording. Nimbus School of Recording Arts. 2012. Archived from the original on December 27, 2012. Retrieved November 29, 2012.
^"Outstanding Contribution". Classic Rock presented by Orange. Future Publishing Limited. 2011. Archived from the original on November 19, 2012. Retrieved November 29, 2012.
^"Bob Ezrin". Canada's Walk of Fame. Retrieved September 23, 2013.
