Recording - February 2011 - 67

FEBRUARY 2011 TAXI Road Rally 2010

Michael Lloyd, Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient
Interviewed by Michael Laskow
If there’s one word that exemplifies what this weekend is about, it’s generosity. Did you notice in the really long registration line how generous the people you met were in giving you tips, not only about songwriting, but just about how to work the Rally and everything related? So generosity… that’s a word that I think you’re going to think about all weekend long, and nobody exemplifies that more than our Lifetime Achievement Award recipient this year, Michael Lloyd. Michael was Vice President of MGM Records at 20years-old. Can you imagine? He has had chart-topping hits that expand an amazing six decades. Six decades! He’s produced more than a hundred Gold and Platinum records in his lifetime. He has provided scoring, music supervision, songwriting and music production for well over 100 motion pictures, 16 TV movies, 13 TV specials, and 35 TV series. What an amazing career. Michael’s work has been recognized by the Oscars, the American Music Awards, the Dove Awards, and the Golden Globes. He also happens to be a partner in Curb Records. After all these accomplishments I can’t think of anybody I’ve ever met in the music business who is more supportive, encouraging, helpful, humble and, most of all, generous. Michael takes dozens of CDs from our members every year at the Road Rally, and he listens to every one of them. And he calls them up. I get calls from people, “Michael Lloyd just called me from his cell phone in his car and told me what he thought of my song.” Who would have the time? Michael Lloyd. I just can’t say enough about Michael Lloyd the person. Outside of the music industry, he’s such a good, good man. So it gives me tremendous pleasure to have him as our honoree this year. I want to have you listen to a montage, a tiny smattering of Michael Lloyd’s music. [music] Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me tremendous pleasure to introduce to you TAXI’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient for 2010, Mr. Michael Lloyd! [applause] Lloyd: I am here only for one reason. It’s because of people like you that I have been blessed with and have had the opportunity to work with for more years than I care to talk about. It is only because of you. This is not lifetime for me—this is our lifetime. This is what we do; this is our life. So this goes on for all of us. It doesn’t matter how old or young you are, this is what we do. I am Michael Lloyd (right) shows the audience his well-deserved Lifetime Achievement Award after TAXI founder Michael Laskow (left) made the presentation. very appreciative of we can take advantage of. being here. I come here [to the Road Rally] all the time; I see a whole bunch of you, a lot of you look Why music? Did you have an “aha” moment? You familiar. I’m just grateful to be here. And this is the started out when you were in diapers I think. Was guy who makes it possible for all of us. [applause there a moment? for Michael Laskow] I started playing classical piano when I was about 4years-old. My great grandmother and grandmother Michael, on behalf of myself, my staff, the people in this room and the millions of people throughout had a piano and they were gracious enough and sacrificed for me their whole life to give me piano the world that have enjoyed your music for six lessons and guitar lessons and theory and harmony decades, I’d like to present you with this award. and believe in my love for music, and all this kind Thank you so much. Thank you. Guys, thank you. of stuff. That was my opportunity at that time. Obviously, I was really little, but, you know, the disWelcome back, Michael. cipline of classical piano was key because you Glad to be here. It’s an exciting time for everybody. practice all the time, and by the time I was seven or The gentleman who spoke at the beginning who eight I was probably practicing four or five hours a talked about opportunities, there are so many day. It was a huge part of my life, so there never opportunities. We all read about how the music was that “aha” moment; it just was kinda always business is crashing. It’s crashing because the there. record companies are stupid. It’s because radio is fraught with incredible problems and change of How did you make the transition from player to their own. The splintering of radio and Internet and all this kind of stuff they’re trying to hold on to producer? Back then you certainly couldn’t go to audiences. But there are so many opportunities that school for that. How did that happen? Continued on page 68
67

Recording - February 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - February 2011