Music legend and philanthropist Herb Alpert will receive the first UCLA Arts Award in recognition of his accomplishments in music and his contributions to the arts and music at UCLA.
The award is the highest honor bestowed by the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture (UCLA Arts) and will be presented at the school’s commencement ceremony this Saturday, June 16.
As a legendary trumpet player and songwriter, Alpert’s extraordinary musicianship has earned him five number one hits, eight Grammy awards, 15 gold albums, and 14 platinum albums; selling more than 72 million records. His name is synonymous with a distinctly relaxed instrument style and an immediately recognizable group sound. “The Lonely Bull,” “A Taste of Honey,” “This Guy’s in Love with You,” and “Rise” are just a few of the memorable songs recorded by Herb Alpert during his more than 50 years in the industry.
Alpert also thrived in the music industry. He and his partner, Jerry Moss, founded AandM Records in 1962, which worked with an extraordinarily varied roster of artists including Janet Jackson, Cat Stevens, Supertramp, The Carpenters, Carole King and The Police. In 2006, Alpert and Moss were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in recognition of their accomplishments.
The same passion drives Alpert’s work as a visual artist, which for 40 years has paralleled his life in music. His color-saturated, abstract expressionist paintings and bold, fluid 18-foot black totem sculptures have been shown in museums and galleries around the world.
Herb Alpert continues to perform with his wife, the Grammy Award-winning singer Lani Hall, and oversees the Vibrato Grill, a restaurant and jazz club in Bel Air.
The Alperts’ ongoing philanthropy has garnered a host of awards, and for over two decades, The Herb Alpert Foundation has underwritten funding in the areas of the arts and arts education.
The UCLA Arts Award is given to members of the community who have made significant contributions in the field of the arts and play an active role in supporting the arts at UCLA.
