Allan Alper, who scored films and TV shows and served as a conductor and musical director for artists including Mitzi Gaynor, Florence Henderson, Jim Nabors, Charo and Debbie Reynolds, has died. He was 78.
Alper died Dec. 4 at JFK Memorial Hospital in Indio after suffering two strokes, his stepsister, Kristina Melcher, told The Hollywood Reporter.
A pianist, Alper composed scores for such low-budget films as The Bang Bang Gang (1970), Caged Men (1971), Wild Riders (1971), Hollywood Babylon (1971), Superchick (1973), Inferno in Paradise (1974), The Black Gestapo (1975) and On Any Sunday II (1981).
Allan Michael Alper was born in Los Angeles on July 26, 1947. His father, Henry Alper, was an MCA talent agent whose clients included Jerry Lewis, Xavier Cugat, the Harry James Orchestra, Elmer Bernstein, Henry Mancini, Jerry Goldsmith and John Williams.
Alper graduated from Fairfax High School in 1965 and attended USC, where he was a member of the Trojan Marching Band and earned his bachelor’s degree in Music Composition in 1969.
Alper also composed string arrangements for percussionist/vibraphonist Carl Rigoli’s CD Journey for Carmelo Recordings in 2005. And after he moved to La Quinta in 2011, he worked with jazz radio personality Scott Ellsworth on the online program Scott’s Place.
He was a member of the American Federation of Musicians Local 47 of Los Angeles.
In addition to his stepsister, survivors include his sister, Annette; brother Elliott; stepdaughter Yvette; and former wife Marilyn.
