{{Short description|American recording engineer}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Use American English|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox musical artist | honorific_prefix = | name = Russ Terrana | honorific_suffix = | image = | image_upright = | landscape = | alt = | caption = | background = non_performing_personnel | birth_name = | alias = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1946|07|06}} | birth_place = Detroit, Michigan, US | origin = | death_date = | death_place = | genre = | occupation = Recording engineer | years_active = | label = Motown Records }} '''Russ Terrana''' (born July 6, 1946)<ref name="Allard 2018">{{cite book |last1=Allard |first1=Francois |last2=Lecocq |first2=Richard |title=Michael Jackson All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track |date=2018 |publisher=Cassell |isbn= 9781788400572 |page=52}}</ref> is an American recording engineer and sound mixer who worked at Motown Records for 18 years, serving as the label's chief engineer.
==Early life and education== Terrana was born in Detroit, Michigan, and developed an interest in music at a young age, forming a band with his twin brother, Ralph, and a friend when he was ten years old. Terrana later received a degree in electronic engineering, which provided him with a technical foundation for his career in music production.<ref name="Allard 2018"/><ref name="Bisel 2015">{{cite web |last=Bisel |first=Rob |title=Chief Engineer of Motown: Russ Terrana Shares 18 Years of Recording for the Iconic Label |website=Tape Op Magazine |url=https://tapeop.com/interviews/105/russ-terrana/ |date=2015 |access-date=September 20, 2024}}</ref>
==Career== At age 23, Motown hired Terrana on the spot after his interview in 1966, and he began to develop his audio engineering skills. He quickly gained the trust of Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown, and rose to become the label's chief recording engineer. During his 18 years at Motown, Terrana recorded numerous artists, including Diana Ross, The Supremes, The Jackson 5, and Stevie Wonder.<ref name="Bisel 2015" /><ref name="Fumo 2019">{{cite web |last1=Fumo |first1=Dante |last2=Handley |first2=Joel |title=Video: What Makes Motown Sound Like Motown? |website=reverb.com |date=September 26, 2019 |url=https://reverb.com/news/video-what-makes-motown-sound-like-motown |ref={{sfnref|reverb.com|2019}} |access-date=September 20, 2024}}</ref><ref name="Chick 2014">{{cite web |last=Chick |first=Stevie |title=Diana Ross & the Supremes: 10 of the best |website=The Guardian |date=October 8, 2014 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2014/oct/08/diana-ross-the-supremes-10-of-the-best |access-date=September 20, 2024}}</ref><ref name="Stavropoulos 2017">{{cite web |last=Stavropoulos |first=Laura |title=Diana Ross's Landmark 'diana' Chic Mix Finally On Vinyl |website=uDiscover Music |date=April 21, 2017 |url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/new-releases/diana-rosss-landmark-diana-chic-mix-lands-vinyl/ |access-date=September 20, 2024}}</ref>
In 1983, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Film Sound Mixing for a Limited Series or a Special for his work on ''The Eddie Rabbitt Special''. In 1985, he won the Emmy for Outstanding Live and Tape Sound Mixing and Sound Effects for a Limited Series or Special for his work on ''Motown Returns to the Apollo''.<ref name="Emmy Awards">{{cite web |title=Russ Terrana |website=Television Academy |url=https://www.emmys.com/bios/russ-terrana |access-date=September 20, 2024}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Terrana, Russ}} Category:Living people Category:American audio engineers Category:Emmy Award winners Category:Motown people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:1946 births