Acclaimed producer Henry Lewy dead at 79

PRESCOTT, Ariz., April 12 (UPI) -- Longtime Joni Mitchell recording engineer and producer Henry Lewy has died in Prescott, Ariz., at age 79.

Lewy died Saturday, Daily Variety reported Wednesday.

Lewy worked with Mitchell on 13 albums and also served as engineer and producer for Neil Young, Van Morrison, Leonard Cohen, Joan Baez, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Jackie DeShannon and Leon Russell, among others.

The German native started his music career as a disc jockey on stations in San Diego, Los Angeles and Las Vegas in the 1950s, Variety said.

He started his recording studio career at Electrovoxx studios in Los Angeles and 1959 and moved to Liberty Records, where he worked on the original recordings of Alvin and the Chipmunks.

He worked on the first Crosby, Stills & Nash album at United & Western studio and was introduced to Mitchell by Crosby.

Lewy started his long collaboration with Mitchell starting with her second album, "Clouds."

He is survived by a sister.