Alex Al

Lifetime Achievement Award – Bassist – 21st Annual LA Music Awards

Alex Al is an American bassist, keyboardist, composer, producer and arranger. He is best known for his work with pop icon Michael Jackson, serving as the King of Pop’s bassist and keyboardist over the last decade. He shared the stage with Michael at the legendary 30th anniversary concerts at Madison Square Garden, featuring the historical and last performance of the legendary Jackson 5, and in the most successful documentary film of all time, Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” film, which has become the highest grossing documentary/concert movie of all time, with earnings of over $300 million worldwide.

Alex has played, written, produced and/or arranged on numerous albums in almost all genres of music, including Grammy award-winning albums which have sold over 100 million copies worldwide. His work appears on many well-known records by legendary artists such as Stevie Wonder, Sting, Janet Jackson, George Benson, and Mariah Carey. You can also hear Alex’s signature bass style on such songs as: Beyonce’s “Dance For You”, Shakira’s “Can’t Remember To Forget You” featuring Rihanna, Counting Crows’ remake of Joni Mitchell’s legendary song, “Big Yellow Taxi”, Paul Simon’s “Sure Don’t Feel Like Love” from the “Surprise Album”, and “Behind the Mask” by Michael Jackson from the MJ album entitled “Michael.” He is one of four legendary bassists on Herbie Hancock’s album “The Essential Herbie Hancock,” alongside Jaco Pastorius, Ron Carter and Paul Jackson.

Alex also lent his upright bass skills, on Herbie Hancock’s Grammy award winning “Tribute to Gershwin” album featuring the song “St. Louis Blues,” which features Stevie Wonder, as well as important global work and live recordings with legendary ‘Thriller” producer Quincy Jones.

Alex has collaborated with top pop/folk artists such as icons, Paul Simon of Simon and Garfunkel, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne to top country pop artists such as Taylor Swift, Kenny Rogers and Brian Wilson.

Alex continues to work with the world’s top Christian/Gospel artists such as Ron Kenoly, Israel Houghton, Tommy Walker, Cece Winans, Norman Hutchins, Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond, Yolanda Adams, Mary Mary, The Winans, Shirley Caesar, Zawameki International Ministries, and the legendary Andre Crouch.

Alex has worked alongside a diverse list of artists including: Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, David Foster, Walter Afanasieff, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Narada Michael Walden, Babyface, Rob Cavallo, Tricky Stewart, The Dream, Kuk Harrell, Michael Jackson’s “Bad” and “We Are The World’ collaborator John Barnes, Andrea Bocelli, The Three Tenors (Domingo, Carreras and Pavarotti), Lady Gaga, Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics, Alicia Keys, Usher, John Legend, Pink, Lionel Richie, Billy Preston, Ciara, Diana Ross, Mary J. Blige, Britney Spears, Neyo, Christina Aguilera, Duffy, Jessie J, Maroon 5, Joe Satriani, Nelly Furtado, Justin Bieber, DJ Quik, Corrine Bailey Rae, Birdie, Queen Latifah, Tupac Shakur, Sheila E., Gwen Stefani of No Doubt, Pussy Cat Dolls, Jennifer Hudson, Sergio Mendes and Miles Davis (posthumously).

No stranger to rock music, Alex completed an album with guitarist Don Felder of the Eagles, and has worked with Roger Daltry of The Who, Slash of Guns n’ Roses, Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac, John Mayer, Sheryl Crow and rock icon Carlos Santana.

Alex has also worked alongside the biggest producers in Rock and Pop who have produced such artists as Green Day, the Goo Goo Dolls, The Dave Matthews Band, Whitney Houston’s 30 million platinum selling, The Body Guard Soundtrack, and Fleetwood Mac.

Alex has contributed to movie soundtracks including: Tom Hank’s “Larry Crown”, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”, “Happy Feet”, “Big Trouble”, “Robots”, “Big Trouble”, “Shark Tale”, “Burlesque”, Tom Cruise’s “Knight and Day”, “The Best Man Holiday” and “The Lorax”. Alex also has collaborated with Hollywood film composers: James Newton Howard, John Powell, Stanley Clarke and Andrea Morricone (son of legendary composer Ennio Morricone).

Alex’s unique bass and keyboard playing has been heard nightly on ground breaking seasons of Lopez Tonight with George Lopez, CW Network’s “Oh Sit” TV show, and “The Next” TV show, The Singing Bee, Parenthood, and with late night TV icon, Arsenio Hall, as Bassist and Keyboardist on the new Arsenio Hall TV show, which has already gone on to become a cult favorite amongst TV viewers all over the world. Alex has also appeared on such TV shows as: The Grammy’s, The Oscars, The American Music Awards, American Idol, The Oprah Winfrey show, Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show, and Quincy Jones’s ‘Vibe’ show.

Alex has been honored with The Hollywood Fame Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement, appeared at the White House, performed with Herbie Hancock at the Kennedy Center Awards honoring Stevie Wonder, and shared the cover of one of the world’s most coveted music magazines with legendary Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney.