Ian Freebairn-Smith, the Grammy-winning composer who arranged “Evergreen” from “A Star Is Born,” died Oct. 7 in Folsom, California. He was 93 years old.
The composer, singer and arranger was widely recognized for his work shaping many of Hollywood’s most notable film and television soundtracks.
In the 1970s and 1980s, he composed music for television shows such as “Airwolf”, “Fame”, “Cagney & Lacey”, “Magnum, PI” and “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”, collaborating with songwriter Jimmy Webb on a theme song for the latter.
The Seattle native moved to Los Angeles in 1934 and began his career as a group singer with The Singers Incorporated, working alongside fellow singers Perry Botkin, Jr., Sue Allen, Jimmy Bryant and George Tipton.
In 1977, he won a Grammy Award for Best Arrangement Accompanying a Vocalist for “Evergreen,” performed by Barbra Streisand.
His credits also include the scores for several television films such as “The Curious Case of the Campus Corpse” (1977), “Deadly Lessons” (1983) and “Three on a Match.” Freebairn-Smith’s voice can be heard on many film and television series soundtracks such as the theme songs for the television series “Batman”, “Flipper” and “Gilligan’s Island”.
He also worked on the bass section of the film scores for “Peter Pan” (2003), “The Matrix Revolutions” and “The Day the Earth Stood Still” (2008).
The arranger performed the title song of the film “M*A*S*H” by Robert Altman with the singers of Ron Hicklin, “Suicide is Painless” by Johnny Mandel, as well as several records for the Impulse Records singing group “The California Dreamers”.
He also provided the singing voice of Ray Walston in the Billy Wilder comedy starring Dean Martin, “Kiss Me Stupid.”
Freebairn-Smith also boasted a long radio career, including stints on Los Angeles radio stations KFAC, KKGO, KGIL and KCSN, broadcasting primarily classical music. He was KCSN’s midday personality until 2009.
Freebairn-Smith’s work also includes collaborations on dozens of commercial jingles for Chevron, Continental Airlines, United Airlines, Dubonnet Wine, Pacific Bell, among others. His “California Sound” was credited with bringing a huge increase in commercial production to Los Angeles.
Additionally, the composer’s arranging work included charting for Andy Williams, Streisand, Stephen Bishop, Jeff Beck, Lou Rawls, Van Dyke Parks, John Klemmer, Anthony Newley, Randy Crawford, folk artists Emitt Rhodes and Phil Ochs, rock group “The Ventures” and Lee Hazlewood.
Freebairn-Smith is survived by her brother Rod and four daughters, Leslie, Alison, Jenifer and Vanessa, including three musicians, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
