George Tipton Obit

George Tipton Obituary

 

He was not on the list.

Tipton was a ccomposer, musical arranger, and conductor, who is well known for his work in television and for his collaborations with singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson.

Among Tipton's works are the theme music for the TV shows Soap and its spinoff Benson, It's a Living, I'm a Big Girl Now, and Empty Nest, plus incidental music for numerous shows, including The Courtship of Eddie's Father, Soap, Mulligan's Stew, The Love Boat, Heartland, The Golden Girls, and The Golden Palace. He also wrote the score for the film Badlands (1973), and for the television films Home for the Holidays (1972), The Affair (1973), The Stranger Who Looks Like Me (1974), The Gun and the Pulpit (1974), Hit Lady (1974), Griffin and Phoenix (1976), Red Alert (1977), The Gift (1979), Christmas Lilies of the Field (1979) and Gidget's Summer Reunion (1985).

His arranging and conducting credits include numerous hits by Jan and Dean, The Sunshine Company, and Jose Feliciano's hit version of "Light My Fire" by The Doors. He was one of the main arrangers on the albums of Leonard Nimoy during the late 1960s. Tipton is arguably best known in the pop-rock field for his work as an arranger on singles and albums recorded by singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson during the most productive phase of his career in the 1960s and early 1970s. They met c. 1964 through music publisher Perry Botkin Jr., where Tipton worked as a copyist. Their collaboration began when Tipton put up his life's savings ($2,500) to arrange and record four Nilsson tracks which they sold to Tower, a sub-label of Capitol Records. These tracks were subsequently included on the Spotlight on Nilsson LP.

Tipton arranged Nilsson's acclaimed early albums for RCA Records (1967–71): the Skidoo soundtrack, music for the TV series The Courtship of Eddie's Father, and for the animated feature The Point!. Tipton also arranged Nilsson's classic single "Everybody's Talkin'," which won a Grammy Award in 1969. In 1970, Tipton recorded an album of instrumental interpretations of Nilsson's music, Nilsson by Tipton (Warner Bros. Records), which featured cover illustrations by Dean Torrence.

Tipton and Nilsson subsequently had an unexplained falling-out, and Tipton reportedly refused to be involved in the 2010 documentary on Nilsson's life and career.

Tipton died in 2016 at age 84.

Composer

Dinah Manoff, Kristy McNichol, David Leisure, Richard Mulligan, and Park Overall in Empty Nest (1988)

Empty Nest

6.6

TV Series

Composer

1988–1995

170 episodes

 

Don Cheadle, Estelle Getty, Cheech Marin, Rue McClanahan, Billy L. Sullivan, and Betty White in The Golden Palace (1992)

The Golden Palace

7.2

TV Series

Composer

1992–1993

24 episodes

 

Nurses (1991)

Nurses

6.5

TV Series

Composer

1991–1993

46 episodes

 

Estelle Getty, Rue McClanahan, Bea Arthur, and Betty White in The Golden Girls (1985)

The Golden Girls

8.2

TV Series

Composer

1985–1992

177 episodes

 

Good & Evil (1991)

Good & Evil

7.9

TV Series

Composer (music by)

1991

2 episodes

 

Heartland

7.5

TV Series

Composer

1989

4 episodes

 

Gail Edwards, Ann Jillian, Marian Mercer, Wendy Schaal, Susan Sullivan, and Barrie Youngfellow in It's a Living (1980)

It's a Living

7.0

TV Series

Composer

1980–1989

120 episodes

 

Mama's Boy

5.3

TV Series

Composer

1987

1 episode

 

One Big Family (1986)

One Big Family

7.4

TV Series

Composer

1986

1 episode

 

Comedy Factory (1985)

Comedy Factory

5.0

TV Series

Composer

1986

1 episode

 

Missy Gold, Robert Guillaume, Caroline McWilliams, James Noble, Lewis J. Stadlen, and Inga Swenson in Benson (1979)

Benson

7.1

TV Series

Composer

1979–1986

158 episodes

 

Tough Cookies (1986)

Tough Cookies

6.2

TV Series

Composer

1986

1 episode

 

Dean Butler and Caryn Richman in Gidget's Summer Reunion (1985)

Gidget's Summer Reunion

6.2

TV Movie

Composer

1985

 

Just Married!

TV Special

Composer (music by)

1985

 

Hail to the Chief (1985)

Hail to the Chief

7.3

TV Series

Composer

1985

2 episodes

 

Anne Baxter, James Brolin, and Connie Sellecca in Hotel (1983)

Hotel

6.4

TV Series

Composer

1985

1 episode

 

Condo (1983)

Condo

6.8

TV Series

Composer (music by)

1983

2 episodes

 

The Demon Murder Case (1983)

The Demon Murder Case

4.6

TV Movie

Composer

1983

 

Helen Hunt, Anthony Edwards, Richard Crenna, Patty Duke, Billie Bird, and Richard McKenzie in It Takes Two (1982)

It Takes Two

7.1

TV Series

Composer

1982

1 episode

 

Fred Grandy, Bernie Kopell, Ted Lange, Gavin MacLeod, and Lauren Tewes in The Love Boat (1977)

The Love Boat

6.2

TV Series

Composer

1977–1982

4 episodes

 

Side by Side: The True Story of the Osmond Family (1982)

Side by Side: The True Story of the Osmond Family

7.2

TV Movie

Composer

1982

 

Billy Crystal, Katherine Helmond, Roscoe Lee Browne, Cathryn Damon, Jay Johnson, Robert Mandan, Richard Mulligan, and Arthur Peterson in Soap (1977)

Soap

8.2

TV Series

Composer

1977–1981

81 episodes

 

Nights at O'Rear's (1980)

Nights at O'Rear's

6.3

Composer

1980

 

Trouble in High Timber Country

6.3

TV Movie

Composer

1980

 

The Yeagers

TV Series

Composer

1980

1 episode

 

Leonard Nimoy in Seizure: The Story of Kathy Morris (1980)

Seizure: The Story of Kathy Morris

6.7

TV Movie

Composer

1980

 

Billy Dee Williams in Christmas Lilies of the Field (1979)

Christmas Lilies of the Field

6.5

TV Movie

Composer

1979

 

Glenn Ford and Gary Frank in The Gift (1979)

The Gift

6.7

TV Movie

Composer

1979

 

Sweepstakes (1979)

Sweepstakes

6.1

TV Series

Composer

1979

2 episodes

 

With This Ring (1978)

With This Ring

6.8

TV Movie

Composer

1978

 

Three on a Date (1978)

Three on a Date

5.7

TV Movie

Composer (as George Tipton)

1978

 

Mulligan's Stew (1977)

Mulligan's Stew

7.4

TV Series

Composer

1977

2 episodes

 

Red Alert (1977)

Red Alert

6.7

TV Movie

Composer

1977

 

Secrets (1977)

Secrets

7.1

TV Movie

Composer

1977

 

Mariel Hemingway in I Want to Keep My Baby! (1976)

I Want to Keep My Baby!

6.7

TV Movie

Composer

1976

 

Pat Morita and Susan Blanchard in Mr. T and Tina (1976)

Mr. T and Tina

4.5

TV Series

Composer

1976

4 episodes

 

Griffin and Phoenix (1976)

Griffin and Phoenix

7.4

TV Movie

Composer

1976

 

Susan Howard, Barry Newman, and Albert Salmi in Petrocelli (1974)

Petrocelli

7.2

TV Series

Composer

1975

1 episode

 

Fay

6.7

TV Series

Composer

1975

2 episodes

 

Hit Lady (1974)

Hit Lady

5.6

TV Movie

Composer

1974

 

The Gun and the Pulpit (1974)

The Gun and the Pulpit

5.7

TV Movie

Composer

1974

 

Remember When (1974)

Remember When

7.6

TV Movie

Composer

1974

 

The Stranger Who Looks Like Me (1974)

The Stranger Who Looks Like Me

6.0

TV Movie

Composer

1974

 

Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner in The Affair (1973)

The Affair

5.0

TV Movie

Composer (as George Tipton)

1973

 

Badlands (1973)

Badlands

7.7

Composer (as George Tipton)

1973

 

Kate Jackson, Georg Stanford Brown, Sam Melville, and Michael Ontkean in The Rookies (1972)

The Rookies

6.8

TV Series

Composer (as George Tipton, music by)

1973

1 episode

 

Home for the Holidays (1972)

Home for the Holidays

6.2

TV Movie

Composer (as George Tipton, music composed by)

1972

 

No Place to Run (1972)

No Place to Run

6.4

TV Movie

Composer (as George Tipton)

1972

 

The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969)

The Courtship of Eddie's Father

7.3

TV Series

Composer

1969–1972

71 episodes

 

Jan & Dean: On the Run (1966)

Jan & Dean: On the Run

8.6

TV Movie

Composer (as George Tipton)

1966

 

Sunday on the River

Composer (as George Tipton)

1962

 

Music Department

Classic TV Theme: Nurses (3 versions - Full Stereo)

TV Movie

Music Department

2021

 

Dinah Manoff, Kristy McNichol, David Leisure, Richard Mulligan, and Park Overall in Empty Nest (1988)

Empty Nest

6.6

TV Series

composer: theme music

1988–1995

170 episodes

 

Nurses (1991)

Nurses

6.5

TV Series

songwriter: "Here I Am"

composer: theme music

1991–1992

22 episodes

 

Gail Edwards, Ann Jillian, Marian Mercer, Wendy Schaal, Susan Sullivan, and Barrie Youngfellow in It's a Living (1980)

It's a Living

7.0

TV Series

composer: theme music

1980–1989

120 episodes

 

Missy Gold, Robert Guillaume, Caroline McWilliams, James Noble, Lewis J. Stadlen, and Inga Swenson in Benson (1979)

Benson

7.1

TV Series

composer: theme music

1979–1986

158 episodes

 

Dean Butler and Caryn Richman in Gidget's Summer Reunion (1985)

Gidget's Summer Reunion

6.2

TV Movie

composer: song "Everybody's Down at the Beach"

1985

 

Hail to the Chief (1985)

Hail to the Chief

7.3

TV Series

music

1985

1 episode

 

Helen Hunt, Anthony Edwards, Richard Crenna, Patty Duke, Billie Bird, and Richard McKenzie in It Takes Two (1982)

It Takes Two

7.1

TV Series

composer: theme music

1982

1 episode

 

I'm a Big Girl Now (1980)

I'm a Big Girl Now

6.7

TV Series

music

1980

2 episodes

 

Mariel Hemingway in I Want to Keep My Baby! (1976)

I Want to Keep My Baby!

6.7

TV Movie

conductor

1976

 

Fay

6.7

TV Series

music

theme song: music

1975

3 episodes

 

Susan Howard, Barry Newman, and Albert Salmi in Petrocelli (1974)

Petrocelli

7.2

TV Series

conductor

1975

1 episode

 

Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

Phantom of the Paradise

7.3

composer: additional score

conductor: additional scoring

1974

 

Remember When (1974)

Remember When

7.6

TV Movie

conductor

1974

 

The Stranger Who Looks Like Me (1974)

The Stranger Who Looks Like Me

6.0

TV Movie

conductor

1974

 

Badlands (1973)

Badlands

7.7

conductor (as George Tipton)

1973

 

Home for the Holidays (1972)

Home for the Holidays

6.2

TV Movie

conductor (as George Tipton)

1972

 

No Place to Run (1972)

No Place to Run

6.4

TV Movie

conductor (as George Tipton)

1972

 

The Point (1971)

The Point

7.5

conductor

music arranger (as George Tipton)

1971

 

The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969)

The Courtship of Eddie's Father

7.3

TV Series

conductor (as George Tipton)

1970

1 episode

 

Skidoo (1968)

Skidoo

4.7

conductor

music arranger (as George Tipton)

1968

 

Soundtrack

Natasha Lyonne in Poker Face (2023)

Poker Face

7.9

TV Series

performer: "Benson Theme Song"

writer: "Benson Theme Song"

2023

1 episode

 

Jimmy Fallon in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2014)

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

7.1

TV Series

writer: "Theme from 'Soap'"

writer: "Theme from 'Benson'" (uncredited)

2017

2 episodes

 

Bruce Dern in Nebraska (2013)

Nebraska

7.7

writer: "Doctor" (as George Tipton)

2013

 

Jerry Stiller, Kevin James, and Leah Remini in The King of Queens (1998)

The King of Queens

7.4

TV Series

arranger: "Everybody's Talkin'"

performer: "Everybody's Talkin'" (uncredited)

2006

1 episode

 

Dinah Manoff, Kristy McNichol, David Leisure, Richard Mulligan, and Park Overall in Empty Nest (1988)

Empty Nest

6.6

TV Series

writer: "Life Goes On"

writer: "Life Goes On", "Life Goes On" (uncredited)

1988–1995

170 episodes

 

Nurses (1991)

Nurses

6.5

TV Series

writer: "Here I Am"

1991

 

Estelle Getty, Rue McClanahan, Bea Arthur, and Betty White in The Golden Girls (1985)

The Golden Girls

8.2

TV Series

writer: "Miami"

1986

1 episode

 

Leonard Nimoy in Seizure: The Story of Kathy Morris (1980)

Seizure: The Story of Kathy Morris

6.7

TV Movie

music: "I'm Goin' For It This Time"

1980

 

With This Ring (1978)

With This Ring

6.8

TV Movie

music: "You're Invited (To a Wedding)"

writer: "You're Invited (To a Wedding)"

1978

 

Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970)

Cotton Comes to Harlem

6.5

performer: "Cotton Comes To Harlem" (as George Tipton)

1970

 

Alan Alda and Marlo Thomas in Jenny (1970)

Jenny

5.5

arranger: "Waiting"

performer: "Waiting"

1970