Cliff Goldsmith; Retired Music Producer

Cliff Goldsmith, a songwriter who produced music for various artists and television commercials, has died at a Burbank hospital. He was 66.

Goldsmith died June 14 of heart failure, said his daughter, Marsena Goldsmith of Burbank.

Born in Watts, Goldsmith graduated from Jordan High School in Watts and served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. He later graduated from USC, was employed as a postal worker in Burbank and also worked for Lockheed Corp. in Burbank.

In the late 1950s, he began co-producing, along with Fred Smith, a rhythm and blues group called The Olympics. Goldsmith and Smith co-produced and co-wrote for the group including the songs, “Western Movies” in 1958 and “Hully Gully” in 1960.

Goldsmith later produced music for television commercials and for various artists. He produced blues singer Little Johnny Taylor’s 1963 hit “Part Time Love” and also produced for R&B; singer Leon Haywood, who sang “I Want’a Do Something Freaky to You” in 1975. Goldsmith retired in the early 1980s, but continued as a consultant in the music industry.

In addition to his daughter Marsena, Goldsmith is survived by his sons, Clifford L. Goldsmith Jr. of Glendale and Brian Goldsmith of Carson; daughters Valerie Goldsmith of North Hollywood, Lillian Goldsmith of Santa Monica and Tahara Amatulla of Silver Creek, Miss.; sisters Dorothy Weaver, Gina Rhoades and Gladys High, all of Los Angeles; seven grandchildren and one great-grandson. His wife, Jean Esther Goldsmith, died in 1971.

A funeral, with burial to follow, is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. today at the Old North Church at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive, in the Hollywood Hills. Forest Lawn Mortuary, Hollywood Hills is handling the arrangements.

Donations can be made in Goldsmith’s name to the United Negro College Fund.