The Tribbles’ distinctive coos were created by Douglas Grindstaff.
CBS
Douglas Grindstaff, the man responsible for many of the iconic sounds of the original Star Trek series, died on July 23 at age 87, StarTrek.com reported.
“Please join us in remembering Douglas Grindstaff, the award-winning sound editor and designer behind many iconic #StarTrek sounds,” the show’s official Twitter account requested.
Grindstaff and co-workers Joseph Sorokin and Jack Finlay teamed up to deliver all of the background sounds and effects on the iconic CBS show, which ran from 1966-1969. (CBS is CNET’s parent company.)
He helped create such memorable sounds as the red alert klaxon, bridge doors opening and closing, heartbeats, sickbay scanners, communicator beeps, phasers firing, transporter materialization and dematerialization, Tribble coos, boatswain whistles and more, the site notes. In 1967, he was nominated for an Emmy Award in the Individual Achievements in Film and Sound Editing category.
Fans appreciated Grindstaff’s work. “He made the Enterprise come alive,” wrote Twitter user Kelly Key. “The background buzz on the bridge always reminded me of crickets and cicadas from a field on a summer night — full of life and activity.”
He made the Enterprise come alive. The background buzz on the bridge always reminded me of crickets and cicadas from a field on a summer night-full of life and activity.
— Kelly Key (@KellywrtrKey) July 25, 2018
May the stars always shine brightly down on DG. May the songs of the universe call his name.
— Ann Flynt (@AnnFlynt) July 25, 2018
a talented man – RIP : were his beautiful ambient sounds ever available on some kind of mp3 ? did they ever do that – its very theraputic stuff – please advize
— JonjackJones (@JackJohnCarter) July 25, 2018
Why must all the great people die…RIP Douglas ♡
— san || ? (@triwizardkirk) July 26, 2018
He is survived by his wife Marcia, his three children and her three children, and by 16 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren, with more on the way.
Grindstaff, a Korean War combat veteran, also worked on such shows as The Brady Bunch, Dallas and Mission: Impossible.
