Music director and composer Geoff Harvey, who worked on some of Nine Network's most popular TV shows, has been remembered for both his incredible talent and humour following his death.
The 83-year-old, who was a fixture on Australian television, spent 38 years at the Nine Network where he also composed many theme songs for the network, such as those for The Sullivans, A Current Affair and Today.
He became a familiar TV identity through his 22 years at The Midday Show - a 90 minute variety program which featured numerous musical performances.
He spent 19 years as the musical director of the Carols by Candlelight, held in Melbourne on Christmas Eve.
He also worked on The Don Lane Show, Bob Roger's Tonight Show and Bandstand.
After news broke of the musician's death on Saturday, Nine CEO Hugh Marks paid tribute to the performer and his enormous talent.
"He was funny and generous, entertaining Australians as the Musical Director of choice on so many of our programs across the decades alongside the likes of Kerrie-Anne Kennerley, Don Lane, Ray Martin and Mike Walsh," Mr Marks said in a statement.
"Our condolences go out to his family and close friends at this sad time."
Ray Martin described the maestro as a "barrel of laughs".
"If there was a face of television, it probably isn't Bert [Newton] or Graham [Kennedy], it's Geoff Harvey," he told the Nine Network.
"Every time you needed someone to rescue a program, Geoff would come in ... he was always there, he was the maestro."
Others have honoured the musician on Twitter, with singer David Campbell saying Mr Harvey was both patient and funny when they worked together on the Midday show.
Journalist and radio host Mike Carlton remembered the good times when he played in a rival media rugby league competition: "What fun we had trying to stomp on his fingers so he couldn't play piano the next week."
After leaving Nine, Mr Harvey worked with orchestras around the country, and he was recently on a tour of Australia doing a show called Senior Moments.
He was born and raised in the UK, and left for Australia after the end of World War II.
Australian Associated Press
