Producer Cedric Thompson Wins Two Grammys at the 58th Awards Show

A Charlotte-area producer and sound engineer received Grammy awards during the streaming webcast prior to the 58th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony Sunday.

Producer Cedric Thompson and sound mix engineer Glenn Tabor picked up awards for their work on vocalist Heather Headley's "Audience of One," which was named Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album. They also received the Best Traditional Gospel Album award for "Oh Happy Day," a compilation featuring Jon Bon Jovi, Patti Griffin and Queen Latifah.

Also, Charlotte trumpeter Ashlin Parker received a Grammy as a member of the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra. The 15-piece ensemble's latest release "Book One" received the trophy for Best Large Jazz Ensemble.

Tabor and Thompson work out of Gat3 studios in Charlotte. Tabor has worked with such artists as James Brown, Chynna Phillips and Simplified since starting the business.

"I got a call from Cedric... about an hour before the show. He said, 'Hey man, we won both,'" said Tabor, of Rock Hill.

Tabor, 35, spent 12 hours on each of the winning albums, recording many of the instruments and choir ensembles one-by-one, then blending the sounds with prerecorded voice tracks from big names such as Aaron Neville and Jon Bon Jovi.

Tabor opened the Charlotte recording studio in the 1990s. The Bible Belt has brought dozens of gospel artists to his door to record and mix albums. But the studio also has churned out rock, R&B and folk over the years.

In 2008, another album Tabor mixed, "Tell Someone" by the Kenny and Amanda Smith Band, was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Southern, Blue Grass or Gospel Album category.

James Brown recorded his album "The Next Step" with Tabor before the Godfather of Soul died in 2006.

Both Grammy-winning albums mixed by Tabor have received high acclaim. Billboard Magazine calls Heather Headley "one of the great entertainers of the day," and customers on Amazon.com gave the gospel compilation "Oh Happy Day" 41/2 stars.

Tabor and his wife, Susan, were just settling in to watch the Grammys on Sunday when he got the call from Thompson that two albums he helped bring to life had won.

The Tabors' plans changed that night - from watching celebrities on the red carpet to feeling like celebrities - and they treated themselves to a nice dinner.

"It's pretty awesome to be recognized by the industry and your peers," Tabor said. "But at the end of the day, everyone here just loves making music and working with artists."