Earle Hagen
Earle Harry Hagen, born on July 9, 1919, in Chicago, Illinois, was a renowned American composer celebrated for his significant contributions to television and film music. He moved to Los Angeles during his youth, where he learned to play the trombone and graduated from Hollywood High School. At 16, Hagen joined traveling big bands, performing with notable musicians like Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman. In 1939, while with Ray Noble's band, he composed "Harlem Nocturne," a piece that would later become the theme for "Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer."
Hagen's career in television began after his tenure as an orchestrator and arranger at 20th Century Fox, where he worked on films such as "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." Encouraged by producer Sheldon Leonard, he transitioned to television, composing iconic themes for shows like "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "I Spy," "That Girl," and "The Mod Squad." His work on "I Spy" earned him an Emmy in 1968, and he was posthumously inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2011.
Hagen was also known for whistling the theme to "The Andy Griffith Show," a piece inspired by the show's folksy character. Throughout his career, he composed music for over 3,000 TV episodes and films, setting a high standard for television music composition. In addition to his composing work, Hagen was a dedicated teacher and author, writing textbooks on music arranging and scoring. He passed away on May 26, 2008, in Rancho Mirage, California, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most influential composers in television history.
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