Earle Hagen, Andy Griffith Show, Mod Squad, I Spy composer (RIP)
Earle H. Hagen, who not only composed the theme from the Andy Griffith Show but also whistled the familiar melody, died yesterday. He was 88 years old. From the Associated Press (photo from EarleHagen.net):
Link to AP article, Link to EarleHagen.netDuring his long musical career, Hagen performed with the top bands of the swing era, composed for movies and television, and wrote one of the first textbooks on movie composing.
He and Dick Rogers were nominated for an Academy Award for best music scoring for the 1960 Marilyn Monroe movie "Let's Make Love."
For television, he composed original music for more than 3,000 episodes, pilots and TV movies, including theme songs for "That Girl," "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C."
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My wife, daughter and I were just watching Andy Griffith and whistling the tune 1/2 hour ago, and now I learn that the original whistler has passed away. RIP, Mister Hagen!
The whistling part of the Andy Griffith theme will remain stuck in my brain until long after I'm dead, I'm glad, not complaining. Six trillion years from now when aliens trace my neural pathways, I hope they will snap their fingers (or whatever they have) to the beat.
One of the happiest songs ever written.
perhaps the authors of the Most Wanted and Most Unwanted music could do the Most Earwormish Whistling.
RIP Mr.Hagen,how many of us make a meme like that?
The Andy Griffith song actually has words. More disturbingly, I know them all.
Amazing composer whose work went beyond Hollywood -- he also composed the Johnny Otis Show hit "Harlem Nocturne" which was covered successfully by the Viscounts in the 1960s and many other artists as well...
the name of the tune is "The Fishin' Hole"
there is debate over Hagen being the actual whistler. it seems that it was most likely a studio musician named Fred Lowery.
Oy, how could you leave off mentioing "Harlem Nocturne"?
Not to be Captain Bringdown, but boingboing seems to be obsessed with obituaries. I don't wish to negate any of the achievements of Mr. Hagen. I really do appreciate his contributions to the arts. But, I can't go one week reading boingboing without two or three obits. It's morose. What's more, the RIPs are typically covered many, many other places. (e.g. Pollack) Don't take my word for it, though. Here's the past month (assuming I didn't miss any):
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/05/06/rip-morgan-sparks-tr.html
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/05/13/robert-rauschenberg.html
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/05/15/will-elder-rip.html
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/05/22/rip-robert-aspirin.html
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/05/22/steve-cisler-digital.html
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/05/26/film-director-sydney.html
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/05/27/earle-hagen-andy-gri.html
It's morose.
In the real world, people die. There's nothing morose about it. Most commenters have taken the opportunity to talk about the pleasure that these people have given them through their lives and work. When people die, we don't just throw them away and forget about them. But thanks for assembling a nice list so that the rest of us can enjoy a little reminiscence about these fine human beings.
Actually, that list was more depressing than any of our memorial-threads. I hadn't realized how fast they all go.
As for the whistling, were the networks showing the Andy Griffith Show extra today to honor Hagen? I swear I saw it on three times today!
Awww, that's too bad. I love this man's whistling. It's one tune I don't mind having stuck in my head. In fact, I whistle it to myself when my unreasonable boss drives me to drink. It's a calming jingle.
am i the only one noticing how many people have been dying this week?!
The Fishin' Hole. Very suitable.
Centuries ago, all our news and information was provided on sheets of dried vegetable fiber,stained in patterns and brought to us daily. The Deaths Notices always occupied a page or three, depending on our community size. Few youth even knew of them, most elders turned to them first to see what friend was lost.
Several obits a week on BB is hardly remarkable. I suppose any who wish to make birth announcements could also. Life, we has/had it.
Hagen was a genius. He will be remembered for Fishin' Hole and Harlem Nocturne for sure, but he wrote thousands of tunes over his career. I wish I was one tenth the musician he was. I hope some one will release a box set of his work for TV and movies.