Harold Battiste

Composer, label founder, arranger, saxophonist, pianist, music producer, and educator -- via the L.A. Times . He arranged "You Send Me" for Sam Cooke; founded AFO Records, the first African American artist-owned label. They produced Barbara George's "I Know," and Ellis Marsalis's first album. He worked on "Ya Ya," "You Talk Too Much," and "I Got You Babe" (he worked with Sonny and Cher for 15 years). You can even hear his piano of the early Tom Waits album "Blue Valentine." He discovered Dr. John.

His crisp, simple, tasteful settings that support the music are a model for future music producers. And who else would have put an oboe in "I Got You Babe" and have it make the song? That's a heck of a lot of good music he sent our way.