Died On This Date (December 31, 2011) Jeff “Critter” Newell / Respected Studio Engineer
themusicsover Jeff Newell
March 26, 1966 – December 31, 2011
Jeff “Critter” Newell was a self-taught recording studio engineer who first built a name for himself when he was working at the influential Chicago Trax Studio which played a pivotal role in the growth of the city’s underground industrial scene. He eventually relocated to Studio City, California. Over the course of his career, Newell worked on releases by the likes of Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, Skinny Puppy, Angels & Airwaves, Guns N’ Roses, and Blink-182. Jeff Newell was 45 when he passed away on December 31, 2011. Cause of death was not immediately released.
Thanks to Sandy Skeeter from Sound City Studios for the assist.
Davy Kirkwood was a respected Scottish audio engineer and sound mixer whose resume reads like a who’s who of rock and pop music. After an early career that found him working as a telephone engineer, Kirkwood set his sights on music. He first sang in a band called the Beings, but then eventually moved behind the board. Over the years, Kirkwood worked with such musical greats as Supertramp, Motley Crue, Stevie Wonder, the Rolling Stones, Rihanna, Joss Stone, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Ozzy Osbourne, Rainbow, 
Jim Dickson was a recording engineer, producer, and eventual manager of the Byrds. He is often cited as one of the foundations of the ’60s folk-rock movement, particularly that which was coming out of Southern California. During his early years, Dickson produced records by the likes of Hamilton Camp, David Crosby, and the Dillards. He soon began managing a new band formed by Crosby and Chris Hillman who at first went by the Beefeaters and then the Jet Set. It was their desire to become Los Angeles’ answer to the Beatles. In 1964, Dickson was sent a demo of Bob Dylan’s then-unreleased “Mr. Tamborine Man,” which the band, now known as the Byrds, recorded and released. It would became one of the era’s definitive songs and helped launch a sound that inspired countless other musicians. To help the band build a following in those early days, Dickson enlisted the help of such famous friends as Jack Nicholson and 
Roger Nichols was a respected producer and recording engineer who over the course of his career, accumulated seven Grammys. Most closely associated with Steely Dan, Nichols also worked with the likes of 
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