Claim: George Martin's career spanned over six decades.

Sir George Henry Martin -LRB- 3 January 19268 March 2016 -RRB- was an English record producer , arranger , composer , conductor , audio engineer , and musician . He was referred to as the `` Fifth Beatle '' , including by Paul McCartney , in reference to his extensive involvement on each of the Beatles ' original albums . Martin produced 30 number-one hit singles in the United Kingdom and 23 number-one hits in the United States .   Martin produced comedy and novelty records in the early 1950s , working with Peter Sellers , Spike Milligan , and Bernard Cribbins , among others . His career spanned more than six decades of work in music , film , television and live performance . He held a number of senior executive roles at media companies and contributed to a wide range of charitable causes , including his work for The Prince 's Trust and the Caribbean island of Montserrat . In recognition of his services to the music industry and popular culture , he was made a Knight Bachelor in 1996 .