Renowned Producer Bob Clearmountain’s Home and Studio Destroyed in Los Angeles Wildfires

Bob Clearmountain’s Loss

Legendary producer and mixing engineer Bob Clearmountain lost his home and studio to the Los Angeles wildfires.

The devastating fires, which ignited on January 7, have so far resulted in 16 fatalities, displaced nearly 180,000 people, and damaged over 13,400 structures.

Among those affected is multiple Grammy winner Clearmountain, renowned for his contributions to albums such as Bruce Springsteen’s Born In The USA and The Rolling Stones’ Tattoo You, in addition to his work on the original Live Aid broadcast.

As he recounted to Los Angeles Times, his residence and famed studio Mix This!, located in the Pacific Palisades area, were obliterated by the fires. Although he managed to fill three vehicles with valuables, he was unable to salvage most of the high-value and immovable studio equipment.

The Aftermath of the Wildfires

Bob Clearmountain, the brilliant engineer and producer who helped define the sound of the '80s, lost his home and home studio to a fire. 😞 pic.twitter.com/di6jlg2wJq

— Greg Renoff (@GregRenoff) January 11, 2025

“From Sunset Boulevard I could see flames on the hill and smoke. I thought, ‘Well, I’m sure the fire department will be here soon,'” Clearmountain stated. “The news indicated that the wind was blowing the other way, so I assumed they’d contain it shortly. However, a few hours later, my daughter called and said: ‘It’s time for you to leave there.’”

“We took everything we could think of. I had some items gifted by Bruce Springsteen; he sketched one of his little figures for my wife’s 50th birthday, which I thought was quite special.”

“But we assumed we’d return in a few days,” Clearmountain continued. “That as soon as the evacuation order was lifted, we would reload everything back into the house. It honestly didn’t cross our minds that this could mark the end of our world.”

He further mentioned that despite retaining hope for their property’s survival, a neighbor informed him that both the house and studio had indeed been destroyed.

The fire-affected areas include various music recording facilities, both large and small. Clearmountain voiced his concerns about the long-term implications on the recording industry.

“Perhaps there should be a fund. Not for me, as I’m managing fine, but for other studios,” he suggested. “Many individuals are not as fortunate as I am. While I can get by, there are others who will struggle significantly and require support. I would be open to contributing to help them.”

Among the deceased is former child actor Rory Callum Sykes, who tragically passed away at his Malibu residence on January 8 at age 32.

Other victims included Paris Hilton, who witnessed her home engulfed in flames on television, alongside James Woods, Billy Crystal, Cary Elwes, and Mark Hamill.

Heroes and This Is Us actor Milo Ventimiglia also became emotional during a live interview, discussing the loss of his own home, while a fundraiser was initiated for DIIV frontman Zachary Cole Smith after his property was lost in the fires.

Mel Gibson’s residence also fell victim to the flames; the actor shared that it was destroyed while he was recording an episode of Joe Rogan’s podcast.

A charity concert has been organized to assist the victims. The event, named FireAid, will take place at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on January 30, with proceeds dedicated to recovery efforts and assistance for displaced families. The lineup of artists participating has yet to be revealed.