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THE music producer who wrote tunes for SpongeBob SquarePants died at 72.
Andy Paley, who also worked with A-list celebrities including Madonna, passed away following a short battle with cancer.
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As tributes for the New Yorker flooded in, he was described as "the most frighteningly talented person" and "the greatest musical genius".
Who was Andy Paley?
Paley, who was born in upstate New York, was a producer at Sire Records and also collaborated with Brian Wilson, who co-founded The Beach Boys, and Jerry Lee Lewis.
He was one-half of the 1970s duo of the Paley Brothers with his sibling Jonathan.
The siblings were signed by Sire at the same time the label took on groups such as The Ramones, as reported by The Daily Gazette.
"We were kind of promoted in a bubble-gum way but at the same time, we were jamming with Patti Smith and we made a record with the Ramones," Paley told the outlet in 2020.
"We were all over the place. But then my brother and I decided to go our separate ways.”
The producer later wrote music for SpongeBob SquarePants and other animated programs such as The Ren & Stimpy Show.
How did Andy Paley die?
Andy was diagnosed with throat cancer in November 2024.
Shortly before his death, he woke up in the middle of the night with 'extreme' shoulder pain and was admitted to a hospital in Burlington, Vermont.
He passed away on November 21 2024.
Brian Wilson paid tribute to his friend and described him as a "genius".
He also said he was the "most frighteningly talented person that I've met."
He possessed not only encyclopedic knowledge of all pop music — especially rock ‘n’ roll and girl group — but was also astoundingly astute when it came to art and literature.
Tom Kenny the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants
Marc Nathan, a former vice president of Sire Records, also paid a glowing tribute.
"I am so sad that Andy is leaving us, but I have no doubt that when he is received in the perceived “rock ‘n’ roll heaven“ he will be orchestrating, producing, writing, and singing, like the angel he has been to so many!" he said.
"I love you, my friend, and I will miss you until I see you again.
"Perhaps with that second chance to promote you until you reach the top of the charts."
What SpongeBob Squarepants songs did Andy Paley work on?
Andy Paley worked on plenty of the songs in SpongeBob SquarePants, although he is not responsible for the opening credit song.
He did however co-write the most popular song in the history of SpongeBob SquarePants - 'The Best Day Ever'.
Tom Kenny, who voices SpongeBob, hailed Paley for his astuteness.
"My friendship with Andy and our collaboration — writing songs and my fronting the band that he formed — is one of the greatest true joys I’ve ever experienced," he said.
"He possessed not only encyclopedic knowledge of all pop music — especially rock ‘n’ roll and girl group — but was also astoundingly astute when it came to art and literature.”
Before writing songs for SpongeBob, Paley worked alongside Madonna on the song I'm Going Bananas which appeared in the 1990 movie Dick Tracy.
He also collaborated with Elton John on the 2001 album Good Rockin' Tonight: The Legacy of Sun Records.
The set was released as a tribute to the 50th anniversary of Sun Records.
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English (US) ·