Local man works on the Grammy Awards for 50 years

The Grammy awards are in their 59th year and one valley resident has been working with the award’s ceremony for most of that time.

Meet Morris Diamond. while you might not know his name you certainly know the artists he’s worked with. This 95 year old from the Bronx has rubbed shoulders with the likes of, Shirley Maclaine, Frank Sinatra, Olivia Newton John, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Michael Jackson, just to name a few.

He’s worked as a record promoter for Dinah Shore and was the music consultant on Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

“I produced the first recording by the regents before the Beach Boys”

This valley resident has been working in the music industry since the 1930s, getting his start as the band boy for the Tommy Dorsey Band.

“Music is in my soul literally i mean if i go to a concert weather it’s jazz classical pop country whatever music reaches me in my soul and i enjoy every second of it,” said Diamond.

While the list of his accolades is long the list of the people he’s worked with might be longer, he detailed that list in his book “The Name Dropper”.

But one of Diamond’s biggest roles was serving on the Grammys Board of Governors.. for 50 years. Diamond was on the jazz committee.

And if you thought the process of nominating artists was hard, Diamond disagrees.

“We listen to their records and we say we like it or we don’t like it simple as that,” said Diamond.

Despite all his years in the music business, Diamond still enjoys listening to jazz and going to as many local shows as possible.