John Berg (art director)

For other people with the same name, see John Berg.

John Berg
Born	John Hendrickson Berg (1932-01-12)January 12, 1932 Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	October 11, 2015(2015-10-11) (aged 83) Southampton, New York, U.S.
Education	Erasmus Hall High School Cooper Union
Occupation	Art director
Spouses	Rosamond Bassett (divorced) Durell Godfrey ​ ​ (m. 1982; died 2015)​

John Hendrickson Berg (January 12, 1932 – October 11, 2015) was an American art director best known for his works at Columbia Records. Throughout his career, he won four Grammy Awards out of twenty-six nominations.

Biography

Berg was born in Brooklyn and grew up in the Flatbush neighborhood, where he attended Erasmus Hall High School. While in high school, Berg drew cartoons for the school newspaper. Upon graduation, he took classes at the Cooper Union. After earning his degree, he worked for Doyle Dane Bernbach and Esquire. Berg was hired by Columbia Records in 1961 and retired from the label with the title of vice president in 1985. In two and a half decades with Columbia, Berg designed five Grammy Award-winning album covers: The Barbra Streisand Album in 1964, Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits in 1968, Underground in 1969, Chicago X in 1977, and Love Notes in 1978. He died of pneumonia in Southampton, New York on October 11, 2015, aged 83.^[1][2]

Awards and nominations

Berg has received a total of 4 wins and 26 nominations from the Grammy Awards.^[3]

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
1964	The Barbra Streisand Album	Best Album Cover - Other Than Classical	Won
	Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 In C Minor, Op.67	Best Album Cover - Classical	Nominated
1965	Richard Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra		Nominated
1966	Bringing It All Back Home	Best Album Cover - Photography	Nominated
	William Tell And Other Favorite Overtures	Best Album Cover - Graphic Arts	Nominated
	Horowitz At Carnegie Hall - An Historic Return		Nominated
1967	Color Me Barbra		Nominated
	Charlie Byrd Christmas Carols For Solo Guitar		Nominated
	Blonde On Blonde	Best Album Cover - Photography	Nominated
	Turn! Turn! Turn!		Nominated
1968	Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits		Won
	Monk/Straight, No Chaser	Best Album Cover, Graphic Arts	Nominated
	Haydn: Symphony No 84 In E Flat Major And Symphony No. 85 In B Flat Major "La Reine"		Nominated
1969	Underground	Best Album Cover	Won
	Ives: Holidays Symphony		Nominated
1971	The World's Greatest Blues Singer		Nominated
	Chicago		Nominated
1972	B, S And T; 4		Nominated
1974	Chicago VI	Best Album Package	Nominated
1975	Santana's Greatest Hits		Nominated
1977	Chicago X		Won
1978	Love Notes		Nominated
1979	Heads		Nominated
1980	Ramsey		Nominated
1981	Chicago XIV		Nominated
1987	The Voice - The Columbia Years 1943-1952		Nominated

References

1. Fox, Margalit (October 12, 2015). "John Berg, Art Director Who Made Album Covers Sing, Dies at 83". New York Times. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
2. "Freedom Within Madness - John Berg, art director Columbia Records by Tony Lang". The Cincinnati Enquirer. 1978-04-15. p. 25. Retrieved 2025-07-13.
3. "John Berg | Artist | GRAMMY.com". grammy.com. Retrieved 2025-07-13.

External links

• John Berg discography at Discogs
• John Berg at AllMusic