Earle Hagen: Death of an Icon

Earle Hagen, Hollywood composer, died Monday at the age of 88, at his home near San Diego, California. Hagen died of natural causes, after a lengthy illness. The lifelong career he spent building and sharing his songs, as well as his musical prowess coming to an end.

Hagen was a pioneer in the television industry composing theme songs for television programs of the 60's and 70's. Among some of his greatest works were the themes of "The Andy Griffith Show," "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "That Girl", "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C", "Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer", and "The Mod Squad". His prolific talent won him two Emmy awards; one for his work on "I Spy". Not only did he compose the theme for "The Andy Griffith" show, but he is also the one that whistled in the tune, that so many Americans still recognize today.

He also composed the jazz standard "Harlem Nocturne". His lengthy career also includes being a big-band trombonist that played with such greats as Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman and Ray Noble. He also wrote for Frank Sinatra back in the 30's.

Hagen gained notoriety in the television industry when in 1953 wrote a jazz arrangement of traditional Irish tune "Londonderry Air." This composition became the for Danny Thomas' popular sitcom, "Make Room for Daddy." This life-changing move forged Hagen's longtime professional relationship with director-producer Sheldon Leonard. This song became the theme song for Danny Thomas' popular sitcom, "Make Room for Daddy." longtime professional relationship with director-producer Sheldon Leonard.

Hagen composed music for approximately 3,000 television shows. His career spanned three decades as a composer, a film score arranger, and orchestrator for 20^th Century Fox.

Hagen wrote an autobiography after his retirement called "Memoirs of a Famous Composer -- Nobody Ever Heard Of", in which he says about writing the "Andy Griffith" theme; he sat at home "wracking my brain for an idea for a theme for the Griffith show, it finally occurred to me that it should be something simple, something you could whistle. With that in mind, it took me about an hour to write the Andy Griffith theme."

Hagen wrote music for as many as five weekly shows during his highest peak, often working 16-hour days, seven days a week, for 40 weeks a year," he is quoted as telling the online magazine "Film Score Monthly" in 2001. He took his profession and work very seriously. It showed in his creation of long-lasting songs.

April 20, 2008, Earle Hagen was honored by the well deserved National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences with a Gold Circle Award for 50 years of outstanding contributions to the medium.

Hagen leaves behind his wife Laura, his sons, Deane and James, both of Palm Desert; stepchildren Rebecca Roberts, of Irvine, California, Richard Roberts of Los Angeles and Rachael Roberts of Irvine, California. He was also the proud grandfather of four grandchildren. His first wife, Eloise Hagen, died in 2002 following 59 years of marriage. Hagen will be greatly missed by the Hollywood community that had become his home, his loved ones, and the general public that enjoyed so many of his infamous works.