Rock Hill man worked on Grammy-winning albums

By Christy Mullins - cmullins@heraldonline.com

Two Grammy-winning gospel albums this year were trusted to the hands of Glenn Tabor, a Rock Hill sound mix engineer who polished the voices of Al Green and Queen Latifah, to name a few, in his Charlotte-based studio.

Tabor, 35, might get a plaque for his work on the two albums – “Oh Happy Day,” an 11-song compilation that won Best Traditional Gospel Album, and “Audience of One,” 10 songs by Heather Headley that won Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album.

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

Adjusting the character, feel and balance of a piece of music is “crucial” for a successful album, said Winthrop University music professor Ron Parks.

“Sure he should be proud,” Parks said.

“If you’re even walking by a doughnut shop, and someone is sitting inside that won a Grammy, you should be proud.”

Tabor opened his Charlotte recording studio in 1999. The Bible Belt has brought dozens of gospel artists to his door to record and mix albums. But the studio, called Gat3 Productions, 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.

Both Grammy award-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” 4 1/2 stars.

Tabor and his wife, Susan, were just settling in to watch the Grammys on Sunday when he got the call 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, treating 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.”