William Leon Goldenberg (February 10, 1936 – August 3, 2020) was an American

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Def ...

and

songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music ...

, best known for his work on television and film.

Early life

Goldenberg was born in February 10, 1936 in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. His mother played the violin, and she taught him how to play the violin and the viola. Then he played it in chamber and symphonic groups. His father was a staff percussionist at WOR and the NBC Symphonic Orchestra. At age five, he played piano and sang Broadway shows. He wanted a musical career but since his father was laid off, he was dissuaded in the early 1950s. Instead of attending

Juilliard The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most elit ...

, he studied physics and mathematics at Columbia College.

Career

After college, Goldenberg was a computer programmer, but he quit the job due to an

ulcer An ulcer is a discontinuity or break in a bodily membrane that impedes normal function of the affected organ. According to Robbins's pathology, "ulcer is the breach of the continuity of skin, epithelium or mucous membrane caused by sloughing o ...

. He found work as a pianist and arranger. He was hired to write the soundtrack for comedy sketches of

Mike Nichols Mike Nichols (born Michael Igor Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was an American film and theater director, producer, actor, and comedian. He was noted for his ability to work across a range of genres and for his aptitude fo ...

and

Elaine May Elaine Iva May (née Berlin; born April 21, 1932) is an American comedian, filmmaker, playwright, and actress. She has received numerous awards including an Oscar, a BAFTA, a Grammy, and a Tony. She made her initial impact in the 1950s with he ...

in the Broadway show, ''An Evening with Nichols and May''. In the 1960s, Goldenberg met Spielberg at

Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...

. He started to compose music for Spielberg's television pieces such as ''

Night Gallery ''Night Gallery'' is an American anthology television series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, ''The Twilight Zone ...

'' and the 1971 TV film, ''

Duel A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people, with matched weapons, in accordance with agreed-upon rules. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the rapier and ...

''. His other film scores included the

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...

film ''

Change of Habit ''Change of Habit'' is a 1969 American crime drama musical film directed by William A. Graham and starring Elvis Presley and Mary Tyler Moore. Written by James Lee, S.S. Schweitzer, and Eric Bercovici, based on a story by John Joseph and Ric ...

'' (1969), '' The Grasshopper'' (1970), '' Red Sky at Morning'' (1971), ''

The Last of Sheila ''The Last of Sheila'' is a 1973 American whodunnit mystery film directed by Herbert Ross and written by Anthony Perkins and Stephen Sondheim. It starred Richard Benjamin, Dyan Cannon, James Coburn, Joan Hackett, James Mason, Ian McShane, and Ra ...

'' (1973), '' Busting'' (1974), ''

The Domino Principle ''The Domino Principle'' is a 1977 neo-noir thriller film starring Gene Hackman, Candice Bergen, Mickey Rooney and Richard Widmark. The film is based on the novel of the same name and was adapted for the screen by its author Adam Kennedy. It was d ...

'' (1977) and ''

Reuben, Reuben ''Reuben, Reuben'' is a 1983 comedy-drama film directed by Robert Ellis Miller and starring Tom Conti, Kelly McGillis (in her film debut), Roberts Blossom, Cynthia Harris, and Joel Fabiani. The film was adapted by Julius J. Epstein from the 196 ...

'' (1983). He also wrote music for ''

The Mary Tyler Moore Show ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977. Moo ...

'', ''

Columbo ''Columbo'' () is an American crime drama television series starring Peter Falk as Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. After two pilot episodes in 1968 and 1971, the show originally aired on NBC fr ...

'', and the first two episodes of ''

Kojak ''Kojak'' is an American action crime drama television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theodopolis "Theo" Kojak. Taking the time slot of the popular ''Cannon'' series, ...

'', including the theme tune. Additionally he wrote scores for

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

's '' Play It Again, Sam'' (1972) and ''

Up the Sandbox ''Up the Sandbox'' is a 1972 American comedy-drama film directed by Irvin Kershner and starring Barbra Streisand. Paul Zindel's screenplay, based on the novel by Anne Roiphe, focuses on Margaret Reynolds, a bored, young wife and mother who ...

'' (1972). Later on, he was praised for all his works and his score for the ''Sandbox'' movie was considered 'the real pulse of the movie' and also if the score could be turned into a song. He wrote the song "If I Close My Eyes" for the ''Sandbox'' movie and then won an Emmy Award for the score of ''

Queen of the Stardust Ballroom ''Queen of the Stardust Ballroom'' is an American musical television movie directed by Sam O'Steen and produced by Roger Gimbel, from the teleplay by Jerome Kass. It was broadcast by CBS on February 13, 1975. Maureen Stapleton, Charles Durning, ...

'' (1975). He earned 3 Emmy Awards for '' The Lives of Benjamin Franklin'' (1974) which described the life of

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

, and also scored many TV movies, such as '' Fear No Evil'' (1969), '' Ritual of Evil'' (1970), '' Don't Be Afraid of the Dark'' (1973), ''

Double Indemnity ''Double Indemnity'' is a 1944 American crime film noir directed by Billy Wilder, co-written by Wilder and Raymond Chandler, and produced by Buddy DeSylva and Joseph Sistrom. The screenplay was based on James M. Cain's 1943 novel of the same ...

'' (1973), '' The UFO Incident'' (1975), '' Helter Skelter'' (1976), '' One of My Wives Is Missing'' (1976), ''

The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case ''The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case'' is a 1976 American television film dramatization of the Lindbergh kidnapping, directed by Buzz Kulik and starting Cliff DeYoung, Anthony Hopkins, Martin Balsam, Joseph Cotten, and Walter Pidgeon. It first aired ...

'' (1976), '' Mary Jane Harper Cried Last Night'' (1977), '' The Cracker Factory'' (1979), '' Crisis at Central High'' (1981), ''

This House Possessed ''This House Possessed'' is a 1981 American made-for-television horror film directed by William Wiard and starring Parker Stevenson and Lisa Eilbacher. Plot Following a nervous breakdown, a recuperating rock star and his young nurse discover the ...

'' (1981), '' The Best Little Girl in the World'' (1981) and ''

Massarati and the Brain ''Massarati and the Brain'' is a 1982 American television film produced by Aaron Spelling. Plot A billionaire private detective is looking for missing treasure, with the help of his young geek nephew, his domestic and cook, and a federal agent. C ...

'' (1982), and TV miniseries including ''

The Gangster Chronicles ''The Gangster Chronicles'' is a 1981 American crime drama television miniseries starring Michael Nouri, Joe Penny, Jon Polito, Louis Giambalvo, Kathleen Lloyd, Madeleine Stowe, Chad Redding, Markie Post, Allan Arbus, James Andronica, Robert Da ...

'' (1981), ''

Rage of Angels ''Rage of Angels'' is a novel by Sidney Sheldon published in 1980. The novel revolves around young attorney Jennifer Parker; as she rises as a successful lawyer, she gets into a series of ongoings that lead to intrigue with the mob and a rival ...

'' (1983), '' The Atlanta Child Murders'' (1985), '' Kane and Abel'' (1985) and ''

Around the World in 80 Days ''Around the World in Eighty Days'' (french: link=no, Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours) is an adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne, first published in French in 1872. In the story, Phileas Fogg of London and his newly employe ...

'' (1989).

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Goldenberg, Billy 1936 births 2020 deaths American television composers Musicians from Brooklyn American film score composers American male film score composers 20th-century American composers 21st-century American composers Broadway composers and lyricists Emmy Award winners American male songwriters 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians Columbia College (New York) alumni