Music producer Phil Ramone, who worked with top artists to create some of the most unforgettable music of our era, has died. He was 79.

Once dubbed "The Pope of Pop," Ramone was hospitalized in late February with an aortic aneurysm, Billboard reports. His son, Matt, confirmed the music producer's death Saturday morning.

Ramone was one of the most prolific music producers of his time, as NPR's Sami Yenigun says:

That's not all, the AP goes on:

Ramone was born in South Africa and quickly demonstrated his musical chops, taking up the violin and piano at age 3. As a teenager, Ramone studied at the Juilliard School in New York, the AP reports, and by age 20 had opened his own recording studio.

His own experience as a musician and engineer gave him insight into the artists he worked with, as Billboard says:

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