James Ladwig, 80, of Vero Beach, passed away from cancer on April 2, 2014.
He is survived by his wife, Paula Bisacca-Ladwig; sons, Michael W. (Theresa), David P. (Kate); daughter, Jennifer L.; grandchildren, Connor, Taylor, and Charlie.
Ladwig was born March 9, 1934 in Oak Park, Ill., to Elsie Clara Meyer and William Carl Ladwig.
Working from a young age, he caught the eye of a local businessman who was interested as to what he planned for the future. His response that he liked to draw led to his showing the businessman his work. It was suggested that he pursue this in school and try and make a living in art. After college he found out about an opening in the art department at Mercury Records, so he designed an album cover to add to his portfolio and the rest is history.
Stationed in La Rochelle, France he took every opportunity to travel and explore. Standing in the rain at Le Mans in 1958 sparked an already existing fascination with cars and speed that would remain and grow throughout his life. He also learned to appreciate chicory coffee, oysters, and love.
With his discharge in 1959, PFC Ladwig returned to Chicago but Mercury Records no longer had an art department. He was referred to Norman Graphics and rose to the position of Art and Advertising Director. He designed albums for Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, The Platters, and Louis Armstrong. Mercury also had its share of pop singers such as Vic Damone, The Four Seasons and artists like Frankie Lane, Patti Paige, and The Smothers Brothers. The list is endless and so was the pressure, so when Ladwig was approached by a printing vendor with an idea, he listened.
In 1968, Don Kosterka’s idea to broker printing jobs for clients in the music business became a reality and Album Graphics was started. Even with Ladwig’s creative abilities and Kosterka’s business and printing expertise, the fledgling company needed more. The third partner, Richard Block, solidified what would turn out to be an amazing success story.
Irwin Steinberg, then chairman of Polygram labels, called Ladwig one day with a proposal. If Album Graphics would provide all its album artwork on a budgeted basis, he would give Album Graphics all their printing. This solid foundation allowed Ladwig to build an amazing creative staff in Los Angelas, New York City, and Chicago.
The company gained a reputation that spread from coast to coast as a manufacturer that delivered quality goods no matter how complicated or unusual. They attracted great people, Design and Grammy Award winners, and Ladwig loved his collaboration with these talented artists.
A few album designs by this group included The Eagles: Hotel California; Fleetwood Mac: Rumors; Supertramp: Breakfast in America; Strange Days: The Doors; The Rolling Stones: Tattoo You, Emotional Rescue, Some Girls; Rod Stewart: Every Picture Tells A Story, Never A Dull Moment, Gasoline Alley; The Faces: Ooh La La; Ohio Players: Angel, Fire, Honey.
Ladwig always felt especially honored to work with talent like Ed Careaff, Kim Champagne, Peter Corriston, John Craig, Bob Defrin, Andy Engel, Jeff Gold, Jeri Heiden, Bob Heimal, Joe Kotleba, Ed Lee, Richard Mantel, Basil Pao, Tommy Steele, Dez Strobel, Storm Thorgerson, Ed Thrasher, Rick Valencenti, Roland Young, Just to name a few. To Rod Stewart and Quincy Jones, know that he appreciated and always remembered his time with you in those early years.
During his career, he was nominated for six Grammy Awards for packaging. His first was while he was at Mercury in 1963 for Bach’s Greatest Hits. His second nomination, in 1973, Ladwig designed Ooh La La for the Faces from a photo of Gastone, a character in top hat from an Italian opera. The Ohio Players were recording an album for STAX records and Ladwig was approached to come up with a design. The song ‘Honey’ was written because of that design and he won the Grammy for best album cover for this erotic gatefold jacket in 1975.
In 1986, Ladwig created the Digipak with AGI; a plastic alternative to the standard plastic jewel box for CDs. Unlike so many, Ladwig loved the CD format and as major labels repackaged their back catalogs, reissues were often enclosed in Digipaks.
In the 1960s, Album Graphics had turned a square 12 inch record jacket into endless possibilities for designers to express themselves. Now, the molded tray became the art director’s first choice due to the flexibility that the Digipak allowed.
Ladwig became the premier designer for ‘limited edition special packaging’ which he loved doing because once again, he got to throw around ideas and work with great companies and people. He received his fourth nomination in 1990 for Special Edition Anita Baker: Compositions and his fifth in 1993 for R.E.M.: Automatic For The People. He was nominated in 1996, for the 6th time, for Frank Sinatra’s Complete Reprise Studio Recordings.
His efforts in the advancement of entertainment related packaging design, won Ladwig an ‘Alex Packaging Awards – Lifetime Achievement Award’ in 2005. He said “I am humbled by this honor…it’s a nice closure for this career and gives me a chance to go over all this stuff and remember all the wonderful relationships.”
Time and age could never stop his desire to be outside each morning. Over the years, he had buddies that he would meet at 6:30 a.m. at Peet’s in Chicago or Panera in Vero Beach. He loved cars and vintage raced at Road America, Mid Ohio, Watkins Glen, Road Atlanta, Daytona and Sebring. He joined Targa66, started by Vero’s Brian Redman, and enjoyed his time on the track at Moroso Raceway and Roebling Road.
He and his wife enjoyed various rallies with ‘the Chicago Gang’ and participated in the Copperstate 1000, the California Mille, and the Colorado Grand where they eventually were awarded ‘2003 Prime Motoring Fools’. Ladwig got pleasure from all his cars but he most often would be behind the wheel of one Porsche or another.
Most of all he loved to travel, planned or on the fly, to somewhere in the U.S. or Europe or Asia. He loved to drive the twisting roads, hop on trains, buses or metros; walk the streets of cities and villages. He was always open and fearless and thrilled by each new experience no matter where.!
He loved living in Chicago where he had so many ties and friends. He enjoyed sailing on Lake Michigan or going to the Art Institute, Grant Park, the Lincoln Park Zoo or the theater. He always considered Chicago home but never wanted to leave Vero Beach once he got settled there.
He embraced boating and the people he met and couldn’t have enjoyed his time more. Over the years he joined the Riverside Theatre, the Vero Beach Museum, the Jazz Society, the Lyric, the Sunrise Theater, McKee Gardens, the Moorings Yacht Club and the VBYC.
He was an amazing father, grandfather, husband, friend, mentor, innovator, collaborator, and designer.
Donations can be made in his name to the American Cancer Society for research in Glioblastoma (GBM).
