Ralph Sutton has worked with the music industry elite, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Motley Crew, and Marvin Gaye. Now Ralph Sutton has left the entertainment capital of Los Angeles to help bring the "funk" back to Memphis.

“Right now my main emphasis is on Memphis.  I hope to participate in the rebirth of Memphis, you know, getting back to it musical roots,” Sutton said. “Memphis has a lot of heart and soul, with so much incredible talent.”

Ralph Sutton is a recording engineer/record producer and has engineered on multiple Grammy Award wining project, he now runs a state of the art commercial recording studio, aptly titled Ralph Sutton’s Studio D at the House of Blues recording studio, located at 898 Rayner Street in Memphis.

Within the walls of his 2000 square foot studio, Sutton houses some of the very best digital equipment used by the industry today, including a ProTools Control 24 Control Surface, ProTool HD 3 rig and a large variety of microphones, a host of ProTools plug-ins and what he calls “the coolest vibe in Memphis.”

Sutton considers himself to be more than just an engineer, he is a “techno artistic interpreter” of sound.

“I do consider myself an artist. I believe that when I am in studio with the producer and the artist that I am acting as the interpreter of what the artist and producer and musicians are working on and creating,” Sutton said. “I become one of the artists as well in that they entrust my interpretive skills of their music or project to my experience and mastery of the tools involved in the recording and mixing process.”

Sutton’s latest endeavors include being appointed by Mayor A.C. Wharton to the Memphis Music Commission, Chairman of the Producers and Engineers Wing of the Memphis Chapter of NARAS where he also sits on the Board of Governors, and Chairman of the Engineering Craft Committee.  He is also the founder of the Young Producers’ Boot Camp.

Ralph Sutton Recording  and Mixing can be heard on Stevie Wonder‘s current 2006 Grammy-winning single, “From the Bottom of My Heart.” However, his career began almost three decades ago.

In 1979, he graduated from the Recording Institute of America and then furthered his education at UCLA. He then garnered his first position at City Recorders as a runner, and then advanced to the position of second engineer.

After working at City Recorders for about a year, Sutton moved on to Chateau Recording Studios. There he collaborated with Ken Scott, who is known for his work with such artists as The Beatles, Kansas and Missing Persons. Sutton says through his many collaborations he has developed his own style.

“You know I believe the most important thing I have learned about collaborating is joint effort in the process, team work and knowing your position on the team recognizing that on the playing field, which is the studio and control room and the position I play is engineer, if I do my job to the top of my ability and always bring my A-game, not only does it make a better product, it makes a better environment to work in where new ideas are created and the energy is high,” Sutton said.

Sutton later moved on to Electra Asylum Recording Annex, where he worked on Motley Crue’s second album, “Shout at the Devil,” before making himself at home at Motown Hitsville, U.S.A in Los Angeles.

It was at Hitsville where he developed his sound, a menagerie made up of funk, rock and R&B, thus earning him the nickname “P-Funk.”

“I learned to mesh rock with that funk. It’s that thing that’s hard to put your finger on. It’s that old school flavor that I grew up with in my house,” Sutton said.

It was also his grandfather, H. B. Price, that influenced Sutton‘s musical tastes. Sutton said that Price, along with his mother and slightly older aunts, exposed him to various types of music.

“I grew up listening to the Temps, the Tops, Smokey, the Stones, Elvis and all kinds of Jazz,” Sutton said. “It was a cornucopia of different musical styles.”

Sutton’s clientele at Hitsville reads like a Who’s Who in the history of American music. Including his work with Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, The Four Tops, and Smokey Robinson, he’s also worked with producing legends James Carmichael, Norman Whitfield, Holland-Dozier-Holland and Hal Davis.

After six years, Sutton moved on to Kenny Rogers’ Lionshare Recording Studios. There he teamed up with producer David Foster and engineer Humberto Gatica, and together they created music for Julio Iglesias, Chicago, Barbara Streisand, Frank Sinatra and Dionne Warwick.

Through some of his many clients, Sutton began to master the fine art of remixing. These include Michael Jackson, Paula Abdul, Jon B, Babyface and Lionel Richie.

“When approaching a remix, I approach the song new in my mind not the old,” Sutton said, “Some just want to make what they have better. Others want a new sound completely.”

Nonetheless, Sutton’s talents are not limited to single artist recordings. He also has a long list of soundtrack credits under his belt. They include hit films like Eddie, Bulletproof, B.A.P.S., Sprung, Dangerous Ground, The Big Chill, John Q, Bamboozled, Christine, and Get Crazy.  He says that when working on a soundtrack it is vital to have what is needed, most importantly the appropriate studio and equipment.

Some of Sutton’s most memorable moments include the “fellowship and camaraderie” that was shared in the studio during his time at Motown Hitsville. Sutton says that while there he enjoyed working with the same artists he grew up on, like The Temptations, The Four Tops, Smokey Robinson, David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, and others.

“I miss the different pranks, and jokes and things of that nature,” Sutton said.

Sutton’s goals for The House of Blues are shared by his two business partners, Gary Belz and Pete Williams. Sutton met Belz in 1997, and was later introduced to Williams.

Sutton has gained twenty-eight years in the industry through dedication, determination, character, work ethic, integrity, and learning from experience.  It is these characteristics that allow Sutton to excel.

He advices the same principle to other industry hopefuls, along with a few other pearls of wisdom, like reading trade magazines and being as multifaceted as possible. He added that it is key to always remember that the music or entertainment industry is a business, first and foremost. Also education, awareness and practice are essential, he adds. “Study the craft, understand the different aspects so that you can take advantage of opportunities presented to you,” Sutton said.

Sutton, as a veteran member of the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences, advises industry hopefuls as well as promotes the progress of the industry that he loves so much. He has been a very active member since he joined NARAS in 1982.

“It gives me the opportunity as a music professional to get involved in the community at large and to fellowship with other professionals,” Sutton said.

Sutton also co-produced “The Grammy’s Salute to Gospel” where he worked with various award-winning artists such as Cece Winans, Donnie McKlurkin, and Kirk Franklin.  Sutton is currently working on projects in Memphis and has more Grammys in his future.