Neil Argo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Neil Argo
Born	Neil Douglas Argo Jr. (1947-05-28)May 28, 1947 San Diego, California, U.S.
Died	August 2, 2018(2018-08-02) (aged 71) Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.
Alma mater	University of North Texas
Years active	1981-2018

Neil Argo (born May 28, 1947 – died August 2, 2018) was an American composer. He wrote music for movies and TV shows in Hollywood. He is best known for his work on the TV series Wild America, which was shown on PBS.

Early Life and Education

Neil Argo was born in San Diego, California, on May 28, 1947. In high school, he learned to play the piano and percussion instruments. In 1966, he joined the United States Air Force.

After serving in the military with the North American Air Defense Band, he went to college. He studied at the University of North Texas and earned a degree in music composition. Later, he received a master's degree in music theory and composition from the University of Northern Colorado.

Music Career

While living in Colorado, Neil Argo met Marty Stouffer in 1981. Stouffer was creating a new TV series called Wild America for PBS. Argo wrote the main theme music for the series and composed music for its early episodes.

In 1984, he received a special grant as the first "composer-in-residence" from the Colorado Council on the Arts. This grant was supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. The theme music he wrote for Wild America was later turned into a six-minute concert piece for a band. It was published in 2002. In 1983, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts asked Argo to create their signature theme music.

Moving to Hollywood

In 1985, Argo moved to Los Angeles, California. He started working as an orchestrator, which means he arranged music for orchestras. He worked on popular TV shows like Dynasty and The Colbys. Later, he worked on MacGyver and composed music for the return of Mission: Impossible. He also added music to Beverly Hills 90210. In 1988, Argo scored a short film called The Cat Story.

He composed the music for a National Geographic special called Survivors of the Skeleton Coast in 1993. This led him to score a five-part mini-series in London called Skeleton Coast Safari in 1997. In 1998, the Alumni Association of the University of Northern Colorado gave Argo an award for his contributions to the arts. That same year, he gave many of his original music papers to the James Michener Library in Greeley, Colorado.

Film Scores

Neil Argo composed music for many movies. Some of his film scores include:

• Chavez Cage of Glory (2013), which starred Steven Bauer.
• The Legends of Nethiah (2012), featuring Robert Picardo.
• Chasing the Green (2009), with William Devane.
• Bring Him Home (2000), starring Ed Asner.
• P.J. (2008), with John Heard.

From 2010 to 2012, Argo worked with Jimmy Greenspoon, a band member from Three Dog Night, on different film projects. In 2014, Kronos Records released Argo's soundtrack from the movie P.J.. The soundtrack for Wild America was released in 2015 by the same label.

Other Activities

Besides his work in film and television, Neil Argo also taught. He taught orchestration and film scoring at California State University at Northridge. He was also a guest speaker at several colleges and universities across the United States.

He was a member of many important groups in the music and television industries. These included the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and The Recording Academy's Producers and Engineers Wing.

Death

Neil Argo passed away in Scottsdale, Arizona, on August 2, 2018. He was 71 years old and died from heart failure.

Partial Filmography

Awards