Composer
Will H. Schaefer died of cancer Saturday, June 30, in a nursing home in
Cathedral City near
Palm Springs, California. Schaefer was born in
Kenosha, Wisconsin, and was the arranger and assistant conductor with the
U.S. Fifth Army Band during the Korean War. During his service he wrote music for "
Radio Free Europe" and "
The Voice of America." During his prolific career, Schaefer composed and recorded music for over 700 commercials, earning three
Clio Awards for his work. Schaefer also created background music for TV shows, including
Super Friends,
Hogan's Heroes,
The Jetsons,
The Tonight Show,
The Flintstones,
Scooby Doo, and
The Flying Nun. His music for the Disney TV movie
The Skytrap earned Schaefer an
Emmy Award nomination, and his concert piece for the
1976 Bicentennial celebration, "The Sound of America," earned him a
Pulitzer Prize nomination. Schaefer was 78.
Sources: imdb.com, Associated Press, Variety.com
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