My Friend Paul

Paul Vanderbeck / Photo © 2014 Josh Smith

December 18, 2024.

My friend Paul Vanderbeck died today.We first met in the 70s. I was a young designer running a rural ad agency. Paul was a young musician who had already earned his chops before migrating to the Susquehanna Valley where he produced Christian Rock groups and custom radio jingles.

The first jingle I asked Paul to produce was for a local dairy. We had a brief discussion about what the client wanted. A few days later he auditioned the rough guitar version. It was perfect. I thought that was the final music. “No, no. Wait till I add the full orchestra,” he said. A week later he was back from Nashville with the fully produced jingle. The client loved it…and the rest is history.

Most of the jingles Paul created for my clients were played on the air for nearly two decades, but he is best known for the musical images he produced for hundreds of national TV and radio clients, including the international award-winning jingle, I Want My Baby Back, which was picked up by Chili’s and was voted one of the Top 10 jingles of all time.

Along the way, Paul worked with many notable artists, including Johnny Cash, Melissa Manchester, Carole Bayer Sager, and Peter Allen. He also found time to provide the music for my feature length documentaries.

Paul and I were natural colleagues. He saw/heard music as I described a project to him. He lived music. Music lived him.

My friend suffered greatly for a long time before he was released today. Paul’s music will continue, as will my memory of a truly gifted spirit and a loving friend. So long, Paul. See you soon.

Stephen Newton