Thank you, Andrew Gold

And when we die and float away
Into the night, the Milky Way
You'll hear me call, as we ascend
I'll see you there, then once again
Thank you for being a friend

How could we have known while referencing Andrew Gold last August in a blog about fireflies that we would be reading his obituary this summer. Gone at age 59? That's way too early. Gold died this month in L.A. of an apparent heart attack. He was being treated for renal cancer.

Gold was an accomplished musician and songwriter with an impressive pedigree. His father won an Academy Award for writing the musical score to Exodus. His mother provided the voices for Natalie Wood in West Side Story and Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady, among others.

If you don't remember Gold from his solo days in the 70's he might have escaped your attention altogether. He enjoyed a Top 10 hit with "Lonely Boy" from his 1976 album What's Wrong With This Picture. His 1978 song "Thank You For Being a Friend" would years later become the theme for TV's The Golden Girls. He sang the theme song to Mad About You. And before all of that success he spent four years in Linda Ronstadt's band when she was belting out hits like "You're No Good," "Heat Wave" and "When Will I Be Loved."

So if you didn't know Gold it might be your own fault. Either way, you can read his obituary in the New York Times by clicking this link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/07/arts/music/andrew-gold-singer-and-songwriter-dies-at-59.html

To catch a glimpse of him on stage check out the "Lonely Boy" video above.