Andrew Gold, Musician, Songwriter, Arranger Passes at 59

Andrew Gold played several instruments and arranged music on several Linda Ronstadt albums in the ’70s along with plenty of his own creations that we’ll never forget. I remember his song ‘Lonely Boy’ on the radio when I was a kid. It did go Top 10 hit in 1977. 

On June 6, 2011 the Los Angeles Times reported that Andrew Gold,  had died. He was 59.

Gold died Friday in his sleep at his home in Encino, said his sister, Melani Gold Friedman. He had cancer but had been responding well to treatment, she said.

He was such a versatile musician who also was a highly regarded session player for such folk-rock musicians such as James Taylor, Carly Simon, Loudon Wainwright III and J.D. Souther as well as the producer of recordings by Stephen Bishop, Nicolette Larson and others. “Andrew was so enormously talented it almost seemed effortless,” Ronstadt told The Times on Saturday. “He was a real cornerstone of those early records.” He met Ronstadt as a high school student in the 1960s when her country-rock band the Stone Poneys performed at Oakwood School in North Hollywood. “He came up to talk,” Ronstadt said. “He was so bubbly and so smart and we were so impressed with what a good musician he was.” After the Stone Poneys disbanded after their hit “Different Drum” in 1967, founding member Kenny Edwards teamed with Gold and singer-songwriters Wendy Waldman and Karla Bonoff to create the folk-rock band Bryndle. In an email to The Times, Gold’s former high school classmate Waldman called him “an extraordinary guitarist, pianist, drummer and record producer.” Bryndle got a record deal, but the album wasn’t released. The band broke up (but reunited in the 1990s). Edwards, who died in August, rejoined Ronstadt and Gold joined the band. Gold was born Aug. 2, 1951, in Burbank to composer Ernest Gold and singer Marni Nixon. His father won an Academy Award for his score for the 1960 film “Exodus,” and his mother sang for Natalie Wood in “West Side Story” and Audrey Hepburn in “My Fair Lady,” among others. 

Gold launched a solo career in the mid-1970s while still with Ronstadt’s band. “Lonely Boy” was a hit on his second album, “What’s Wrong With This Picture?” and the single “Thank You for Being a Friend” from 1978′s “All This and Heaven Too” reached No. 25 on Billboard magazine’s charts. This album cover is the featured image on this post.

He recorded with English musician Graham Gouldman in the 1980s, then continued to write, record and work with a variety of artists. Gold also did commercial work and soundtracks, such as singing the theme to the NBC sitcom “Mad About You.” His last release was 2008′s “Copy Cat.” In addition to his sister, who lives in Tujunga, and his mother, Gold is survived by his wife, Leslie Kogan; daughters Emily, Victoria and Olivia from his marriage to Vanessa Gold.