Santa Monica, CALIF–Patrick Williams, who was best-known for his Emmy-winning television music but who was also a renowned and Grammy-winning big-band jazz leader and arranger, died July 25, of complications from cancer at St. John’s Hospital here. He was 79.
Williams earned an Oscar nomination (for adapting opera in “Breaking Away,” 1979), four Emmys (for dramatic music including “Lou Grant,” 1980) and two Grammys (for arrangements including his classic jazz album “Threshold,” 1974) during more than 50 years of music-making in New York and Los Angeles.
MSTies will remember his work for the TV movie in the movie in episode 614- SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL.
Thanks to Timmy for the heads up.
I was watching the “talking Davey down” segment from that experiment the other day. Nice jazzy score for that scene.
Crap! Two actors from my all-time favorite episode in such a short time? I’m gonna need someone to be on Clu Gulager watch, STAT!
What a shame. The man composed two of my favorite TV themes: The Streets Of San Francisco (A Quinn Martin Production) and Lou Grant. He also wrote the background scores for The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, Columbo and even more recently Monk. He’s be missed, but he’ll live on through his music.
He also composed for one Simpsons episode (“Simpson and Delilah”), in that brief awkward period between when Richard Gibbs (season 1 composer) left the show and when Alf Clausen was hired.
With Clu gone who would dig through Joel’s props or smash watermelons?
Oh wait. Wrong guy.
Anyways Joe Bob Briggs pointed out that in “Return of the Living Dead” Clu Gulager played a guy named Burt, who’s friend of 30 years played by Don Calfa was named Ernie. True stuff.
That kills me everytime.