Passing: Earle H. Hagen: Andy Griffith Theme Composer & "Whistler"

From The LA Times:

By Dennis McLellan
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
May 28, 2008

Earle H. Hagen, the Emmy Award-winning television composer who wrote the memorable theme music for "The Andy Griffith Show", "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "I Spy" and other classic TV programs, has died. He was 88.

Hagen also wrote a jazz arrangement of the traditional Irish tune "Londonderry Air," which served as the theme for Danny Thomas' popular situation comedy, "Make Room for Daddy." The Thomas show, which debuted in 1953, launched Hagen's longtime professional relationship with director-producer Sheldon Leonard."There is no question in my mind that Earle Hagen is one of the most important composers in the history of television, if not the most important," said Jon Burlingame, author of the 1996 book "TV's Biggest Hits," a chronicle of American television scoring.

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-hagen28-2008may28,0,1985685.story