Ian Freebairn Smith received the 1977 Grammy Award for Best Vocal Arrangement - Photo: Variety
Ian Freebairn Smith passed away on October 7 in Folsom, California , at the age of 93. The American Society of Composers and Arrangers (ASMAC), where he was a senior member, posted a tribute.
ASMAC shared on the page: "Ian was not only an incredibly talented arranger and musician, but also a generous mentor and valued friend to many generations in the community. His warmth, wit and spirit of sharing his knowledge will be missed."
A quiet but brilliant life
Starting his career in the early 1960s, Ian Freebairn Smith sang for professional bands and wrote for popular television shows such as Batman, Flipper, and Gilligan's Island.
From there, he entered the world of film sound mixing, a field that requires sophistication and the ability to tell stories through sound.
In 1976, Ian Freebairn Smith participated in the score for the movie A Star Is Born, a classic starring Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson - Photo: Warner Bros.
He is known as a "harmonic storyteller", someone who uses musical notes instead of dialogue, guiding the audience's emotions gently but deeply.
In the film, the song Evergreen (theme song of A Star Is Born) with its gentle, elegant melody becomes the soul of the film.
It also won him a Grammy Award for "Best Vocal Arrangement" in 1977.
Evergreen also won an Oscar for "Best Original Song", considered the eternal love song of American cinema.
To this day, whenever that melody plays, people still remember the romantic, delicate and cinematic feeling that Freebairn Smith created.
During his more than sixty years in the profession, Ian Freebairn Smith contributed to the arrangement and composition of dozens of film and television projects such as The Muppet Movie (1979), The Electric Horseman (1979), The End (1978) and A Star Is Born (1976).
More than just a behind-the-scenes artist, he was also a teacher, mentor, and motivator. In his later years, Freebairn Smith continued to teach at Los Angeles Valley College, giving masterclasses in mixing and orchestration to young students.
The passing of Ian Freebairn Smith closes an era of classic American film music , where scores were not just background, but the soul of the story.
From Evergreen to dozens of other remixes, his legacy will continue to live on in theaters, auditoriums, and the hearts of music lovers around the world.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nguoi-dung-sau-giai-dieu-bat-tu-trong-a-star-is-born-qua-doi-o-tuoi-93-20251014100223423.htm
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