Renowned rock producer and engineer Terry Manning passed away at the age of 77 in El Paso, Texas, as confirmed by his son Lucas Manning. Manning is best known for his engineering work on Led Zeppelin’s chart-topping, 6x-platinum 1970 album, Led Zeppelin III, as well as his work on a run of classic ZZ Top albums, including Tres Hombres and 1983’s Diamond-certified Eliminator. Manning was born in Oklahoma, and began his music career in Memphis as one of the first employees of the legendary Ardent Studios. Manning went on to produce Molly Hatchet‘s The Deed Is Done, George Thorogood‘s Maverick, Joe Cocker‘s Cocker, and Joe Walsh‘s Got Any Gum?, and worked as a studio tech on Iron Maiden‘s 2010 album, The Final Frontier. “The people and places I’ve bumped into have been amazing,” Manning told the Commercial Appeal. “To have been in Stax, in Ardent, Abbey Road, Compass Point. I can’t believe it sometimes. I’m just lucky, very lucky, to have done all that.” (Ultimate Classic Rock)
