For a studio that recently celebrated its 40th anniversary and has produced a discography that includes albums by legends such as Led Zeppelin and ZZ Top, Ardent Studios shows no sign of slowing down.
Ardent recently worked with critically acclaimed artists Cat Power and The Raconteurs.
John Fry, founder of Ardent Studios, was presented the Distinguished Achievement in the Creative and Performing Arts Award by The University of Memphis' College of Communication and Fine Arts last night.
He said Ardent's willingness to change has helped it stay relevant in modern music.
"We've been adaptable and tried to be flexible and change with the times," he said. "With the rapid changes in the music industry that have taken place in the last 5-6 years, that's really been a challenge."
But with the extraordinary talent Fry employs at his studio, it hasn't been impossible.
The fact that so many popular artists still flock to Ardent Studios to record has something to do with the city itself, according to Fry.
"Many artists seek out Memphis because of a very intangible thing that I would call the vibe," he said.
And although that intangible feeling is hard to identify, it's definitely affected many of the musicians who've recorded at Ardent.
"Artists like Stevie Ray Vaughan repeatedly cited that they are just better able to create when they're here and they can't explain why," Fry said.
Another reason for Ardent's popularity is the local musicians available on hand for recordings.
"We've still got some of the finest session musicians and vocalists in the world," Fry said.
Cat Power liked the Ardent session musicians who helped her on her last album, "The Greatest," so much that she's even flown them all over the world to perform with her as The Memphis Rhythm Band.
Fry has also had a longstanding connection with The U of M.
According to Richard Ranta, dean of the College of Communication and Fine Arts at The U of M, Fry's relationship with The University dates back to his childhood when he set up a makeshift studio at his parents' home, now owned by Shirley Raines, president of The U of M.
After starting Ardent Studios, Fry served on the music advisory board for The U of M, which was instrumental in the creation of The University's music business program.
Fry also served as an adjunct professor at The U of M for six years in the 80s, teaching an introduction to commercial music class.
"The only reason I stopped doing it was because of the pressures of business and work, but it was tremendously enjoyable," he said.
The Distinguished Achievement in the Creative and Performing Arts Award has been awarded to an artist every year since 1979. The award's first recipient was Sam Phillips.
Each recipient has to be from the Mid-South, has to have achieved a national or international reputation in their art form and has to be alive.
"The award is given in memory of Elvis Presley," Ranta said. "It was started the year after his death, and we decided that rather than having people honored after they weren't around to appreciate it, we'd rather honor them when they're still here."
Fry said receiving an award that has been given to so many famous artists "feels like a mistake."
"I attended the very first one of these and I've attended many since and it never crossed my mind that some day I'd be a recipient of the award," he said.
Fry added that when accepting the award, he couldn't accept it alone.
"I'm pleased to receive the award, but it's not just for me," he said. "To me it represents all the people who through four decades have helped. We've had some of the finest people in the world associated with this company and it's just pretty hard not to look good when you're associated with these people."
