Stanley A. Smith

ComposerMusic Producer

Mar 4

Written By Arbel Bedak

Featured Credits

Cherish The Day

Kemba

Betye Saar: Ready To Be A Warrior

Highlights Reel

To download full credits and bio as a PDF, click here.

Credits

The Real Red Tails upcoming
National Geographic | Special
EP: Erin Reuss
Composer
Cherish The Day
Season 2, 4 Episodes
OWN | ARRAY Filmworks
EP: Ava DuVernay, Oprah Winfrey
Dir. Tchaiko Omawale, Angel Kristi Williams
composer
A Holiday In Harlem
Hallmark Channel | Crown Media
Dir. Keith Powell
composer
Let’s Stay Together 35 Episodes
BET Networks | Flavor Unit | Viacom
EP: Jacque Edmonds Cofer, Queen Latifah, Shakim Compere
composer, Main Title Theme
Are We There Yet? 100 Episodes
TBS | Revolution Studios
EP: Ali LeRoi, Ice Cube, Matt Alvarez, Joe Roth
composer, Main Title Theme
Somebodies 10 Episodes
BET | Generate
EP: Peter Aronson, Warren Hutcherson
composer, Main Title Theme
The Bernie Mac Show 105 Episodes
Regency Television | 20th Century Fox
EP: Larry Wilmore, Peter Aronson, Warren Hutcherson
composer, Main Title Theme
Starting Under
Mohawk Prod | Warner Bros. | Pilot
Prod. Andy Ackerman, Bernie Mac
composer, Main Title Theme
Crossing Lines Seasons 1-2
NBC | Tandem Communications
writer/producer, source music multiple episodes
Burn Notice
USA | Fox Television
EP: Alfredo Barrios Jr., Matt Nix, Mikkel Bondesen
writer/producer, source music multiple episodes
Adventures In Hollyhood
MTV | Katalyst Films | Documentary
EP: Ashton Kutcher
writer/producer, source music multiple episodes
2nd Annual BET Comedy Awards
BET | John Cossette Prod.
writer/producer, source music multiple episodes
In Living Color Seasons 3-5
20th Century Fox TV | DVD
writer/producer, source music multiple episodes
Tru Confessions
Disney | Original Movie
Dir. Paul Hoen
writer/producer, source music
Double Teamed
Disney | Original Movie
Dir. Duwayne Dunham
writer/producer, source music
Return To Halloweentown II
Disney | Original Movie
Dir. Mary Lambert
writer/producer, source music
Hounded
Disney | Original Movie
Dir. Neal Israel
writer/producer, source music
The Luck Of The Irish
Disney | Original Movie
Dir. Paul Hoen
writer/producer, source music
Phantom Of The Megaplex
Disney | Original Movie
Dir. Blair Treu
writer/producer, source music
The Other Me
Disney | Original Movie
Dir. Manny Coto
writer/producer, source music
Ready To Run
Disney | Original Movie
Dir. Duwayne Dunham
writer/producer, source music
RIP Girls
Disney | Original Movie
Dir. Joyce Chopra
writer/producer, source music
Beggars And Choosers
Showtime | Granada Entertainment
Dir. Stuart Margolin, Charles Winkler
writer/producer, source music multiple episodes
Cracker
ABC TV | Granada Entertainment
Dir. Stephen Cragg, Whitney Ransick
writer/producer, source music multiple episodes
Kemba
MPI Original Films | BET+
Dir. Kelley Kali
composer
*Audience Choice Best Film, St. Louis International Film Festival 2023
*Award of Merit True Story Depiction, Fort Lauderdale International Film Fest 2023
Betye Saar - Ready To Be A Warrior
Valley Vista Films | Documentary
Prod./Dir. Angela Robinson Witherspoon
composer
*Winner, Best Documentary Feature, 2022 Studio City Int. Film Festival
*2021 Martha’s Vineyard AA Film Festival
Make-Up Women-Glamour & Guts
Standard Entertainment | Documentary
Dir./EP: Jill Manges Smith
EP/Composer: Stanley A. Smith
*Sundance Institute | WIF Documentary Fellow
Curtsy Mister
Valley Vista Films | Documentary
Prod./Dir. Angela Robinson Witherspoon
various source music
*2017 Harlem Film Int. Festival - Audience Award
*2017 Long Beach Indie Int. Film Festival- LBI/AIDS Foundation Award
The Gospel
Rainforest Films | Screen Gems | Sony
Dir. Rob Hardy, Prod. Will Packer
composer
*#4 Box Office
Constellation
Code Black | FOX Rhythm
Dir./Prod. Jordan Walker-Pearlman
composer
Hustle And Heat
Sony Pictures
Dir. Craig Ross Jr.
composer
Love And A Bullet
Ramcity Prod. | TriStar Pictures
Dir. Kantz & Ben Ramsey
composer, additional music
The Visit
Urbanworld | HBO Home Video | Concord Records
Prod/Dir. Jordan Walker-Pearlman
composer, soundtrack
Catfish In Black Bean Sauce
Black Hawk Entertainment | Iron Hill Pictures
Prod./Dir. Chi Muoi Lo, Prod. Stanley Yung
composer
The Extreme Adventures Of Super Dave
MGM
Dir. Peter MacDonald
writer/producer, source music
Turn It Up
New Line Cinema
Dir. Robert Adetuyi
writer/producer, source music
Permanent Midnight
Artisan Entertainment
Dir. David Veloz
writer/producer, source music
Meet The Deedles
Walt Disney Pictures
Dir. Steve Boyum
song producer
Flubber
Walt Disney Pictures
Dir. Les Mayfield
writer/producer, additional music
Jungle 2 Jungle
Walt Disney Pictures | Walt Disney Records
Dir. John Pasquin
writer/producer, source music & soundtrack
First Kid
Walt Disney Pictures | Hollywood Records
Dir. David Evans
writer/producer, source music & soundtrack
Panther
Gramercy Pictures
Dir. Mario Van Peebles
writer/producer, source music
The Past Is The Past (2021 Curtain Call)
Manhattan Theatre Club | Series
Dir. Oz Scott, Writ. Richard Wesley
writer/producer, songs
In White Places
Culture Vulture | Short
Dir./Prod./Writ. Keith Powell
composer & writer/producer feature song
*2021 Santa Barbara International Film Festival
Power Perspectives
Roku & iHeartRadio | Streaming Talk Series
Prod./Host Daren Jaime
composer, theme music
One Theme
Standard Entertainment | Short
Dir./Composer Stanley A. Smith
Dir./Prod. Jill Smith
The Oversharer
Hummacorp Productions | Web Series
Writ./Prod. Jacqueline Mazarella
Dir. Ali LeRoi & Gren Wells
composer, theme song
*2018 Official Selection SERIESFEST
Paul Anka/Lionel Richie | "Think I'm In Love Again"
Prod. David Foster
programmer
Paul Anka/All-4-One | "One Kiss"
Sony International
Prod. David Foster
programmer
The Sha-Shees | "You Can Do It"
Jungle 2 Jungle | Walt Disney Records
writer/producer
The Sha-Shees | "Higher"
First Kid | Walt Disney Records
writer/producer
Jordan Hill | "Ride"
143/Atlantic Records
co-produced w/David Foster
Jordan Hill | "You Got No Right"
143/Atlantic Records
programmer
Jordan Hill | "What Am I Doing Here"
LaFace Records
programmer
Swing Out Sister | "La La Means"
Mercury Records
programmer (remix/co-produced)
Howard Hewitt | "Crystal Clear"
Caliber Records
drums
Marion Meadows | "You'll Never Know" (featuring Eric Benet)
RCA/BMG
programmer
Johnny Gill | "The Floor"
Motown
programmer (remix/co-produced)
Angie & Debbie Winans | "Light Of Love”
Capital Records
programmer (remix/co-produced)
Dave Koz | "Nothin' But The Radio"
Capital Records
programmer (remix/co-produced)
Richard Marx | "Keep Coming Back”
Capital Records
programmer (remix/co-produced)
Jeffrey Osborne
The Boys
Cheryl Lynn
Caron Wheeler
2015 ASCAP Screen Music Award
“Let’s Stay Together” | Main Title Theme & Score | BET
Composers Diversity Collective - Executive Committee
Television Academy - Music Peer Group
The Recording Academy
ASCAP, SAG-AFTRA, IDA
Society of Composers and Lyricists
Sundance Institute Filmmaker Alumni
ARRAY Crew

Media

Bio

An award-winning composer and multi-instrumentalist, Stanley has a career that spans record production, commercials, short films, web series, documentaries, features, soundtracks, and television.

Stanley A. Smith (he/him) is a proud LA native who grew up in Compton, CA, as part of a very musical family. While majoring in music at nearby Cal State University, Long Beach, Smith honed his writing, playing, and producing skills, which led to several of his original songs making their way to the Billboard Charts.

Smith’s original songs also found their way into various films, television shows and film soundtracks, which eventually led to composing for Film & TV full time- scoring several award-winning and critically acclaimed independent feature films, such as Catfish In Black Bean Sauce, The Visit, Constellation, and eventually, his first big box office success, The Gospel (Sony).

Perhaps best known for his work on the small screen, Smith was ecstatic when he was hired to create the original score for the groundbreaking The Bernie Mac Show (FOX). As the series composer, he crafted a unique sound for all five seasons of the award-winning show, composing over 100 episodes, in addition to writing the theme song. With an array of live musicians, he created a one-of-a-kind sound for the show that precisely echoed Bernie Mac's unique personality and style.

With over 250 episodes of television to his credit, Smith's work includes other well-known TV series: Let’s Stay Together (BET), which he received an ASCAP Screen Music Award, as well as 100 episodes of Ice Cube's syndicated series, Are We There Yet? (TBS), scoring and writing the theme songs for both.

Stanley and his wife/business partner, Music Supervisor/Singer/Filmmaker Jilien Smith, often collaborate on Film & TV projects with their Standard Music Production Co. & Studio. The Smiths recently teamed with director Keith Powell on A Holiday In Harlem (Hallmark), creating a playful, sentimental holiday-inspired original score with a nod to Christmas in Harlem. The Smith duo is also producing their first documentary, which Stanley is scoring- Make-Up Women: Glamour & Guts (Sundance | WIF Alumni) under their companion Standard Entertainment production banner.

An advocate for more diversity and inclusion within the composer-film and TV community, Smith has served on the Television Academy PGEC and ASCAP- Writers Nominating Committee, and currently serves on the NAACP Image Awards Nominating Committee and sits on the Executive Board of the Composers Diversity Collective.

Innately melodic, this self-professed genre connoisseur keeps his ear to the ground. A perpetual student of styles, sounds, and ever-changing technology, Smith notes the importance of authenticity in his work. He is committed and inspired to create scores that are as unique and individual as the projects themselves.

Smith’s latest projects span a wide range of work. He has scored award-winning documentaries featuring historic figures like Betye Saar: Ready To Be A Warrior, about the 97-year-old, legendary artist-activist (2022 Best Feature Documentary Studio City Film Festival), and The Real Red Tails (National Geographic), narrated by Sheryl Lee Ralph, which explores the Tuskegee Airmen and the recent discovery of a lost P-39 airplane. Smith has also worked with ARRAY Filmworks, scoring the second half of Season 2 (Ep. 205-208) of Ava DuVernay’s award-winning hit, one-hour drama anthology Cherish The Day (OWN), in addition to scoring the film Kemba (MPI Original Films/BET+) based on Kemba Smith’s long-awaited untold life story (2023 Audience Choice Best Film-St. Louis International Film Festival and 2023 Award of Merit True Story Depiction- Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival). Stay tuned for what’s next!