How did Gerald Fried die? 'Star Trek' composer and Emmy winner was 95
CONNECTICUT: Gerald Fried, the acclaimed composer popularly known for his composition for 'Star Trek' and the miniseries 'Roots' died on Friday, February 18. The eminent figure who has also worked on scores of several TV projects was 95.
In the 1950s, Fried was among the busiest composers in Hollywood who worked for major blockbusters and TV series. He won one of five Emmy nominations in 1977 for his work for 'Root' which won him the 'Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Series' award.
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How did Gerald Fried die?
Gerald Fried died of pneumonia at the age of 95. He was in Connecticut at the time of his death, reported New York Post. Born on February 13, 1928, in the Bronx, the composer attended the High School of Music and the Juilliard School of Music in New York. Before he played one season for California's Los Angeles Philharmonic, he was an oboist with New York's Little Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, and Dallas Symphony Orchestra.
Fried's award-winning career as a composer
Fried got his gig with 'Roots' after the producer feared whether the production will be able to finish their work on time following repeated deadlines missed by Quincy Jones, the original composer. For the animal sexuality documentary, 'Birds Do It. Bees Do It' in 1974, he also received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Music, Original Dramatic Score.
A career spanning six decades, Fried grew popular for dozens of his TV projects including 'Gunsmoke', 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E', 'Gilligan's Island' and 'Star Trek'. Among his notable works were compositions for films such as 'The Killing' (1956) and 'Paths of Glory (1957) directed by Stanley Kubrick, his childhood friend.
"In TV, you see it once, go home, and next Friday you’re conducting the music. It was terrifying and exhilarating. The schedules were so tight, I had to go on my first ideas. There was an orchestra waiting and you had to have the music ready. With that kind of pressure, you learn real fast what works and what doesn’t," said Fried during an interview with the Television Academy in 2003 while he recounted his long career as a composer and its pressures.
Fried's life outside Hollywood
Apart from Fried's famed life as a composer, he was also an activist who showed his support to the efforts in putting an end to the AIDS crisis. After his own son Zack received blood containing HIV during a transfusion, the 5-year-old died of AIDS in 1987. The 95-year-old composer is survived by three great-grandchildren, six grandchildren, four children, and his wife, Anita.