Alexander Courage

Though certainly not a household name like Jon Williams or Jerry Goldsmith, this composer of film and television soundtracks has had a long and colorful career. With several Academy Award nominations under his belt, he has worked on such projects as Funny Face, Guys and Dolls, Dr. Doolittle, My Fair Lady, and Superman IV: the Quest for Peace. But his greatest triumph as a composer is without question his brilliant theme music to the original Star Trek television series. From the eerie soundscapes accompanying the Talosian threat to the soft-lensed exoticism accompanying the green skinned Vena's dance to the loungy optimism of the main title, Courage created a soundtrack to accompany the lives and fantasies of countless sci-fi geeks. And given the number of Trekkies roaming the planet, that is quite a legacy to leave.