The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson Mourns the Death of the Brilliant ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ Composer Andy Paley

The steel guitars are silent today as Beach Boys fans and SpongeBob SquarePants stans everywhere mourn the loss of a music giant.  

Composer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Andy Paley passed away on Wednesday from cancer complications at the age of 72. A prolific creative and producer, Paley’s fingerprints are all over music history, with credits ranging from Brian Wilson’s solo work to the Ramones’ records to the scores of numerous animated shows, including SpongeBob SquarePants. Paley first broke into the business as one-half of the power-pop duo The Paley Brothers alongside his brother Jonathan, and throughout his nearly 50 years of service to the entertainment industry, the list of high-profile collaborators with whom Paley worked is a veritable who’s-who of the most important musical talents of the later 20th century.  

Today, Paley’s past partners mourn him and celebrate his contributions to music history, with Wilson’s official Instagram account posting this tribute:  

“We are saddened to learn of the passing of Brian’s friend and collaborator, Andy Paley,” the caption reads. “Andy was literally instrumental in Brian starting his solo career with his critically acclaimed 1988 album, Brian Wilson. Andy played electric and acoustic guitars, bass, drums, percussion, keyboards, harmonica and provided backing vocals. He co-wrote three of the songs, including ‘Rio Grande.’ Andy collaborated again with Brian on the legendary, unreleased Wilson-Paley Sessions, counting more than twenty songs. Brian always called him ‘The Genius Andy Paley.’ Love and mercy goes out to Andy’s family and friends.”  

Along with series star Tom Kenny, Paley also composed most of the memorable tunes from SpongeBob SquarePants, including the hit “Best Day Ever," and the voice actor spoke to Variety about his friend’s passing. “My friendship with Andy and our collaboration — writing songs and my fronting the band that he formed —  is one of the greatest true joys I’ve ever experienced,” Kenny said of his time working with Paley, both on SpongeBob SquarePants and in their band Tom Kenny & the Hi-Seas. “He possessed not only encyclopedic knowledge of all pop music — especially rock ‘n’ roll and girl group — but was also astoundingly astute when it came to art and literature.”  

Along with the SpongeBob SquarePants, Paley also scored other nostalgic cartoon classics such as The Ren & Stimpy Show, Digimon and Camp Lazlo, making his loss one that every single Millennial who had the pleasure of growing up in a household with cable should feel deeply.