Alexander "Sandy" Courage, the Emmy-winning composer who gave Star Trek its instantly recognizable theme song, has passed away at the age of 88 in Pacific Palisades, Calif.
To be sure, Courage's influence will travel through time and space thanks to his soundtracking of Star Trek, but he was no Trekkie.
"I have to confess to the world that I am not a science fiction fan,"
the renowned composer explained in 2000. "Neverhave been. I think it's just marvelous malarkey. ... So you write some,
you hope, marvelous malarkey music that goes with it."
After a stint with the Air Force in WWII, the aptly named Courage returned to the U.S. to orchestrate Broadway and film standouts for MGM, including Show Boat, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Gigi and more. His work in film extended even further to contemporary films like Jurassic Park, The Mummy, Superman and others.
But it is his television career that sent him where no man has gone before. For a guy who didn't like sci-fi, Courage worked on some of the most famous speculative franchises, from Star Trek and Lost in Space to Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.
this audio or video is no longer availableAnd while he also composed for more earthbound series such as The Waltons and Daniel Boone, he will be remembered as the man who blessed outer space with a rousing score.
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