Name David Ritz | Role Author | |
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Awards Grammy Award for Best Album Notes Nominations NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work - Biography / Auto-biography Books Divided Soul, It's a Long Story: My Life, Death of a King: The Real Stor, Grace After Midnight, Aretha: From These Ro Similar People | ||
Jerry wexler memorial david ritz
David Ritz (born December 2, 1943 in New York City) is an American author who has written more than 50 books. In addition to his work as a co-author of autobiographies for a range of entertainers from Ray Charles to Don Rickles, he has written lyrics ("Sexual Healing"), novels (Search for Happiness), profiles ("Stevie Wonder: Never Ending Song of Peace" in Rolling Stone), critical essays ("Robin Thicke, You’re No Marvin Gaye" in Rolling Stone) and over a hundred liner notes for artists such as Michael Jackson, Sammy Davis, Jr., Sarah Vaughan and Nat King Cole.
Contents
- Jerry wexler memorial david ritz
- Authorlink Sociable Lecture Series Celebrating David Ritz
- Awards
- Personal life
- References
Authorlink Sociable Lecture Series: Celebrating David Ritz
Awards
1992 Grammy, Best Album Notes for Aretha Franklin's Queen Of Soul - The Atlantic Recordings
1993 Ralph J. Gleason Award for Jerry Wexler: Rhythm and the Blues.
1995 Ralph J. Gleason Award for Etta James: Rage to Survive.
1996 Ralph J. Gleason Award for BB King’s Blues All Around Me
2000 Ralph J. Gleason Award for The Brothers by Ritz and the Neville Bros
2006 ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for liner notes of Johnny “Guitar” Watson: The Funk Anthology, released by Shout! Factory
2011 ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for liner notes of Nat King Cole & Friends: Riffin', released by Verve/Hip-O Select.com/Universal Music Enterprises
2013 Living Blues Reader's Poll, Best Book for When I Left Home: My Story – Buddy Guy and David Ritz – Da Capo Press
2013 Association for Recorded Sound Award for Best Historical Research in Blues/Gospel/Hip-hop/R&B for When I Left Home: My Story – Buddy Guy and David Ritz(Da Capo)
2013 ASCAP Timothy White Award for Outstanding Musical Biography for When I Left Home: My Story- Buddy Guy and David Ritz
He was also nominated for five other Grammys: “Sexual Healing,” R&B song (1982); “Ray Charles 50th Anniversary Collection,” Liner Notes (1997); “Ray Charles 50th Anniversary Collection,” Producer (1997); “Ray Charles—Pure Genius,” Liner Notes (2005); “Aretha Franklin—The Golden Reign,” Liner Notes (2008).
Personal life
Ritz graduated from the University of Texas in Austin, Phi Beta Kappa (1966) and received a Masters of Arts from the State University of New York at Buffalo (1970) where he studied with literary critic Leslie Fiedler.
He has been married to Roberta Michele Ritz since 1968. They have two children, twins Alison and Jessica, born 1974.