Gary Smith, the eight-time Emmy winner who produced six Tony Awards broadcasts, four Emmy telecasts and TV specials for the likes of Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand and Burt Bacharach, died Saturday in Los Angeles, a publicist announced. He was 90.
As one-half of the production team Smith-Hemion — formed with fellow producer Dwight Hemion in the early 1970s — Smith “brought artistry, innovation and elegance to an era of TV that celebrated variety, spectacle and unforgettable moments. From intimate musical performances to historic national celebrations, he left an indelible mark on audiences across generations.”
Smith produced the first TV specials for Paul McCartney (1973’s James Paul McCartney) and Bette Midler (1977’s Ol’ Red Hair Is Back) and guided the final TV performances of Presley (Elvis in Concert) and Bing Crosby (Merrie Olde Christmas), both in 1977.
He served as an executive producer of AFI Life Achievement Award tributes to Streisand and Tom Hanks, and his work on the AFI’s popular“100 Years …” film series ran for 11 years.
Born in 1935, Smith graduated from Carnegie Tech (now Carnegie Mellon University) with a degree in scenic design. He began his show business career at CBS in 1956 as an art director, and while serving in that capacity on The Judy Garland Show was asked to take over as producer. At age 27, it was “a baptism by fire,” he recalled.
In 1965-66, Smith produced Hullabaloo, the NBC music variety series that showcased performances by such acts as The Rolling Stones, The Supremes, The Who, Simon & Garfunkel and Sonny & Cher.
From 1970-74, he led eight Bacharach specials and produced Streisand specials in 1973 and 2009. In 1973, he led a Peter Pan NBC movie that starred Mia Farrow and Danny Kaye.
His legacy also included specials about I Love Lucy and The Mary Tyler Moore Show and shows that featured such luminaries as Frank Sinatra, Woody Allen, Ann-Margret, Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gormé, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Luciano Pavarotti, Bob Hope, Neil Diamond, Tony Bennett and Dolly Parton.
Smith also produced specials about the 25th anniversary of Disneyland in 1980, the opening of EPCOT in 1982 and Liberty Weekend, the 1986 celebration of the Statue of Liberty’s restoration, and worked on Democratic National Conventions (in 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000) and inaugural presidential galas for Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton.
Smith collected more than 30 Emmy nominations during his six-decade career, and his Smith-Hemion partnership garnered 24 Emmy trophies in all.
For 12 years, Smith served as catcher in the Hollywood Celebrity Baseball Game at Dodger Stadium, and in 2002, Carnegie Mellon honored him with its prestigious Life Achievement Award — a distinction shared by only three other drama alumni in more than a half-century.
Survivors include his wife, Maxine, an interior designer and artist; his children, Daisy, Doug, Sam and twins Jake and Zack; his grandchildren, Spencer, Jasper, Sienna, Ryan and Charlotte; and his daughters-in-law, Brett and Leah.
A private funeral service will be held Tuesday, followed by a public memorial and celebration of life Sept. 20. Donations in his memory can be made to SHARE Inc., a Beverly Hills-based charity that supports kids with special needs.
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