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Jimmy Hotz (October 12, 1953 – June 5, 2023) was an American inventor, record producer, recording engineer, electronic music pioneer, audio expert, author and musician.
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Jimmy Hotz | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jimmy Hotz |
| Born | October 12, 1953 Sherman, Texas |
| Died | June 5, 2023 (aged 69) |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Producer, engineer, inventor, musician, recording engineer, programmer, author, consultant |
| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1970–June 5, 2023 |
| Labels | |
| Website | jimmyhotz |
Hotz began playing guitar at the age of seven.
He played a number of instruments such as the guitar, keyboards, flute, drums and his own inventions such as the "Hotz Box" and the "Hotz MIDI Translator". Hotz has done a number of recordings where all of the instruments were played by him using only the Hotz Box as an input device.[1][2]
In the music business Jimmy Hotz has worked with Fleetwood Mac,[3] Dave Mason,[4][5] NSYNC,[6] Mobius 8 [7] B. B. King,[8] Yes, Jon Anderson,[9] Haven[10] and dozens of other recording artists as either a producer, engineer, mixer, studio musician, or musical instrument designer. Hotz was engineer and did programming on B. B. King's Grammy-nominated King of the Blues: 1989. Hotz was also the engineer on King's Grammy-nominated "Standing on the Edge of Love", for Best Contemporary Blues Recording in 1988 (from The Color of Money soundtrack).
You Rock Guitar featured a video of Jimmy playing their MIDI guitar through the Hotz Midi Translator software.[11]
In 2011 he released his debut novel, The Gates of Time.[12]
Hotz lived and worked in Southern California while developing his inventions.[13]
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He is noted for his pioneering work with electronic music synthesizer MIDI controller development[14] / programming and as a technical consultant to Microsoft, Intel, Electronic Arts, Atari,[15][16] JBL and other concerns for new product development.
He is the inventor of the "Hotz Box", Hotz "MIDI vest" and the "Atari Hotz Box", "Hotz MIDI Translator",[17] computer software which has won interest and acclaim at the annual NAMM Show. Performers such as Mick Fleetwood, Jon Anderson, Paul Haslinger, Scott Gershin and others have been using Hotz products in their creative work.[9]
He is the inventor of numerous electronic devices and software innovations and has received three US Patents[18][19][20] in music technology.
As an expert in 3D computer graphics, Hotz was the chief visionary behind the 3dMAxMedia "Zuma Project",[6] assembling the team which developed the technology to manipulate 3D imagery in real-time with audio, MIDI and other real-time control devices.
"Zuma" won a 2001 Innovation award from Computer Graphics World Magazine and was used on the 2001 NSYNC PopOdyssey tour.[21]
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- US Patent No. 5,099,738: "MIDI Musical Translator"[22]
- US Patent No. 5,502,274: "Electronic musical instrument for playing along with prerecorded music and method of operation."[23]
- US Patent No. 5,619,003: "Electronic musical instrument dynamically responding to varying chord and scale input information."[24]
- European Patent No. EP 0452347 B1: "Universal Electronic Musical Instrument Controller"[25]
He recorded a solo album, Beyond the Crystal Sea, in the late 70s, which was released in 1980. It is listed as one of the Top 100 Christian Rock Albums of All Time, No. 98[26] and one of CCM's 500 Best Albums Of All Time No. 210.[27] It is also considered one of, if not the best example of "Christian Art Rock" by critics and collectors.[28][29]
His music project, The Gates of Time,[30] was recorded using Hotz's invention, the Hotz Box along with the Hotz MIDI Translator software, which were the primary instruments.
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With various artists
| Year | Artist | Recording | Type | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Dove | "Beyond the Blues" | Single | – |
| 1978 | Silent Partner | "None the Wiser" | Single | – |
| 1978 | Chuck Sugar | Master Key | Album | – |
| 1978 | Various Artists | Dawntreader | Album | Star Song Communications release. Jimmy Hotz, ArkAngel, John Perez, Mark Christian and others. |
| 1979 | Randy Adams | Songs From Seven Years | Album | – |
| 1980 | Lb. Salt | "Didn't I" | Single | – |
| 1980 | Jimmy Hotz | Beyond the Crystal Sea | Album | Top 100 Christian Rock Albums of All Time No. 98,[31] & CCM's 500 Best Albums Of All Time No. 210[32] |
| 1980 | ArkAngel | Warrior | Album | Top 100 Christian Rock Albums of All Time No. 87,[31] & CCM's 500 Best Albums Of All Time No. 106[33] |
| 1981 | Speedy West Jr. | Used Guitars | Album | – |
| 1981 | Austin O'Neal | "Someone has to Lose" | Single | – |
| 1981 | Austin O'Neal | "Southern Louisiana Get Down" | Single | – |
| 1981 | Giant Killer | Valley of Decision | Album | CCM's 500 Best Albums of All Time No. 265[34] |
| 1981 | Giant Killer | Whose Side You On ? | Album | - |
| 1981 | Ezy Prophet | "Burn it Down" | Single | – |
| 1981 | Ezy Prophet | "Keep on Tryin'" | Single | – |
| 1981 | Maya | Z-Rocks | Album | – |
| 1981 | Peristyle | "I'm Out of Lies" | Single | – |
| 1981 | Peristyle | "Childsplay" | Single | – |
| 1982 | Alan Spears | "Take This Heart" | Single | – |
| 1982 | Alan Spears | "Hard Times for Lovers" | Single | – |
| 1983 | Maya | Murder by Love | Album | – |
| 1984 | Joe Savage | "Out of Control" | Single | – |
| 1984 | Lee Marquette | "Tease Me" | Single | – |
| 1984 | Joe Savage and the Joe Savage Band | "Don't Let It Go" | Single | – |
| 1984 | Joe Savage and the Joe Savage Band | "Life" | Single | – |
| 1984 | Billy Lee Riley | "Rock 'n' Roll Money" | Single | – |
| 1984 | Billy Lee Riley | "Old time Rock 'n' Roll" | Single | – |
| 1984 | Terry Rose | "Southern Comfort" | Single | – |
| 1984 | Memphis | "Gone But Not Forgotten" | Single | – |
| 1984 | Gary McCrary | "Texas Tornado" | Single | – |
| 1984 | Gary McCrary | "Louisiana Purchase" | Single | – |
| 1985 | Palomino | "Twin Silver Running" | Single | – |
| 1985 | Palomino | "Photographic Memory" | Single | – |
| 1985 | Shock Therapy | Shock Therapy | Album | – |
| 1986 | B. B. King | "Standing on the Edge of Love" | Single | from The Color of Money soundtrack. 1988 Grammy Nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Recording[35] |
| 1987 | Dave Mason | Two Hearts | Album | featuring Steve Winwood and Phoebe Snow[36] |
| 1987 | Dave Mason and Phoebe Snow | "The Dreams I Dream" | Single | US AC No. 11 featuring Phoebe Snow[37] |
| 1987 | Dave Mason | "Fighting for Love" | Single | - |
| 1988 | Dave Mason featuring Steve Winwood | "Something in the Heart" | Single | US Mainstream Rock No. 24 featuring Steve Winwood[38] |
| 1988 | Gary Wright | Who I Am | Album | Pre-production |
| 1988 | B. B. King | King of the Blues: 1989 | Album | Guest artists included Bonnie Raitt, Mick Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks, Steve Cropper, Tom Scott, Marty Grebb and Jerry Lynn Williams. 1990 Grammy Nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Recording.[39] |
| 1988 | Dan Aykroyd and Kim Basinger | "Did You Ever Have The Feeling" | Single | from My Stepmother is an Alien soundtrack |
| 1990 | Haven | "Proud Soldiers" | Single | – |
| 1990 | Raymond Louis Kennedy | "Can You Tell Me Who the Heroes Are" | Single | – |
| 1990 | Raymond Louis Kennedy | "Sing for the Children" | Single | – |
| 1990 | Fleetwood Mac | Behind the Mask | Album | No. 18 US, No. 1 UK, Certifications Gold US, Platinum UK |
| 1991 | Haven | "Hold On" | Single | – |
| 1991 | Shock Therapy | Hate Is a 4-Letter Word | Album | – |
| 1991 | Terry Reid | Fifth of July "Cindy" | Vinyl, 12" | – |
| 1995 | Fleetwood Mac | Time | Album | No. 47 UK |
| 1999 | Dave Mason featuring Steve Winwood | Ultimate Collection | Album | – |
| 2000 | Haven | Haven | Album | – |
| 2001 | Haven | The Road | Album | – |
| 2007 | Jimmy Hotz | The Gates of Time | EP | – |
| 2007 | Jimmy Hotz | "Long Long Ago" | Single | – |
| 2007 | Jimmy Hotz | "The Gates of Time" | Single | – |
| 2010 | Haven | "Proud Soldiers" | Single | Video Version |
| 2010 | Haven | "All I Ever Need" | Single | Video Version |
| 2010 | Haven | "Celebrate" | Single | – |
| 2010 | Haven | "Superstar" | Single | – |
| 2011 | Haven | "Angels of the Earth" | Single | – |
| 2012 | Haven | "Proud Soldiers – Military Tribute" | Single | Military Tribute – Video Version |
| 2017 | David Gale | Corner Store | Album | Mastered by Jimmy Hotz[40] |
| 2019 | Albiter Sound | Motor | Album | - |
| 2019 | Albiter Sound | "Hard Leave" | Single | - |
| 2019 | Wayne Jackson and The Memphis Horns Band | The Lost Nashville Sessions | Album | Engineering at the Grand Studio – Nashville, Tennessee 1985[41] |
| 2020 | TEDDY G. Gatto | "Hope for the World" | Single | Co-Producer, Engineer, Mixer, Arranger, Musician[42][43] |
| 2020 | TEDDY G. Gatto | "Born in America" | Single | Co-Producer, Engineer, Mixer, Arranger, Musician[44][45] |
| 2020 | Mick Fleetwood | "These Strange Times" | Single | Additional Engineering[46][47] |
| 2022 | TEDDY G. Gatto and Jimmy Hotz | "War" | Single | Co-Producer, Engineer, Mixer, Arranger, Musician[48][49] |
| 2022 | Conway The Machine | "God Don't Make Mistakes" | Album | Co-Writer, Sampled Loop Creator. Billboard 200 No.175 US [50] |
| 2022 | Conway The Machine | "So Much More" | Single | Co-Writer, Sampled Loop Creator. |
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