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Joe Harnell, 1924-2005
Composer, arranger, conductor and pianist Joe Harnell died in Sherman Oaks, California, on July 14, 2005, at the age of 80, from heart failure.
A musician whose career stretched from the big-band era to modern television, Harnell was best known for his haunting music for The Incredible Hulk, especially the melancholy piano piece “The Lonely Man,” which became one of the most memorable television themes of the 1970s. His other major screen credits included The Bionic Woman, V, Santa Barbara and Alien Nation.
Harnell was born Joseph Hittelman in the Bronx, New York, on August 2, 1924. His father performed in vaudeville and played in jazz and klezmer groups, and Harnell began piano lessons at six. By 14 he was already performing professionally. He studied music at the University of Miami before joining the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, where he toured with Glenn Miller’s celebrated military band.
Following the war Harnell continued his studies, including composition lessons with Aaron Copland, while establishing himself as a pianist, arranger and musical director. He worked with artists including Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Lena Horne, Pearl Bailey and Peggy Lee, accompanying Lee in concert and contributing to several of her recordings. Read more…
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