Does Earle Hagen, the composer of The Andy Griffith Show Theme, still be royalties every time the theme song is played?
Not long ago, we got to talking about whether or not Earle Hagen still receives royalty payments every time The Andy Griffith Theme is played (BTW, that is the correct original title, NOT “The Fishin’ Hole.”) To settle this issue once and for all, I went straight to the source and asked The Maestro himself. Here’s what he had to say: “Composers don’t receive royalties but they do get performance money. The difference is that royalties are determined by a guild negotiating re-use payments with the producers. These payments diminish over time by the number of repeat plays of the program. Performance money is paid by the broadcasters who have to secure licenses to perform the music under the copyright laws of the world. It amounts to pennies per minute, but with 3000 shows of all kinds that I have written, it adds up. I’m delighted that you have an interest after all these years.” Sincerely, Earle Hagen Thanks to Earle for taking time to answer that question for us. –Paul Mulik [Back to
