Andy Paley was a veteran record producer and songwriter who worked with icons like the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson, Chris Isaak, and Jerry Lee Lewis (1935–2022), and composed music for shows like “SpongeBob SquarePants” and “Ren & Stimpy.”
- Died: November 20, 2024 (Who else died on November 20?)
- Details of death: Died in Burlington, Vermont of throat cancer at the age of 72.
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Andy Paley’s legacy
When people of all ages tuned into cartoons such as “SpongeBob SquarePants” and “Ren & Stimpy,” one of the things that often drove the shows’ humor was the music. Those sonics often came from the mind of Paley, a songwriter, producer and composer whose musical legacy stretched back to the 1960s.
Paley initially played drums and sang as a teen, and by the ‘70s , he was playing in the Boston and New York region, having collaborated with artists like Billy Squier and Jonathan Richman. In 1976, he and a younger sibling, Jonathan, formed the power pop duo The Paley Brothers, who got signed to Sire Records, releasing an EP and album that won praise from other musicians but never broke through to mainstream audiences. Paley ended up becoming a staff producer at Sire, producing records for Chris Isaak, The Mighty Lemon Drops, John Wesley Harding, Jerry Lee Lewis, and other artists.
He helped secure his place in music history when he worked with Beach Boys great Brian Wilson in 1988, producing his eponymous album and co-writing music with him. Wilson loved working with Paley, and the pair worked on a follow-up LP that was never released.
Paley moved into composition for the screen, creating music for film (“Dick Tracy,” “Wild Orchid,” “World’s Greatest Dad,” and others) and TV. His work on television may be his most widely heard, highlighted on popular shows like “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “Ren & Stimpy,” “Digimon,” “The L Word,” and other programs. He even toured with the voice of SpongeBob, Tom Kenny, as a member of Tom Kenny & the Hi-Seas.
Tributes to Andy Paley
Full obituary: Variety
