Tom Pick

Video

Oral History Information

Interview Date
Birth Date
Deceased Date
Job Title
Recording Engineer

Tom Pick was the prominent studio engineer who was behind the glass inside RCA Studio B, working alongside producer Chet Atkins when hundreds of hit songs were recorded. During his NAMM interview, Tom outlined the equipment in the studio as well as some of the artists he was proud to work with over his long career. He recorded Dolly Parton (“I Will Always Love You” and “Jolene”), Jerry Reed (“Amos Moses”) and Elvis Presley (“Crying in the Chapel”) as well as Waylon Jennings, Dottie West, Floyd Cramer and many others. Tom later worked at Fireside Studio, which Porter Waggoner owned, and Merit Studios before working as an independent contractor. In just one year as a freelance engineer Tom worked at 27 different studios - a feat he hoped not to surpass. He learned that having your own studio allows you to better understand the equipment, make adjustments and mark settings that will ultimately help the artist achieve the sound they are looking for. In 2016 he was honored with the AES Lifetime Achievement Award for his many contributions to recorded music.