"Earle H. Hagen, the Emmy Award-winning television composer who wrote the memorable theme music for “The Andy Griffith Show,” "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "I Spy" and other classic TV programs, has died. He was 88.

Hagen, who composed the jazz standard "Harlem Nocturne" and was a former big-band trombonist for Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman and Ray Noble, died Monday night at his home in Rancho Mirage, said his wife, Laura. He had been ill for several months.

After spending seven years at 20th Century Fox as an arranger and orchestrator, Hagen moved into television in 1953 after the studio cut back on its music department.

Over the next 33 years, he composed music for about 3,000 TV series episodes, pilots and TV movies -- as well as composing the themes for popular shows, including "That Girl," "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.," "The Mod Squad" and "Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer.""

May he rest in peace.

I know his name well, from decades of playing 'Harlem Nocturne' on the saxophone. But I didn't realize that (1) he wrote all those TV theme songs; and (2) that he wasn't already dead. RIP to a great musician.