In Memoriam: George Gerdes
by Emily Nagle
George Gerdes, a singer-songwriter and actor known for having roles in shows including Seinfeld, Bosch, and Grey’s Anatomy, passed away from a brain aneurysm on January 1st. He was 72.
Born in Queens, NY on February 23, 1948, Gerdes had an interest in acting since toddlerhood; his sister, Julia Dubnoff, told The Hollywood Reporter that when he was only 3 and 4 years old, he often did impressions of television stars like Arthur Godfrey. Terre Roche, the founding member of the musical group The Roches who introduced Gerdes to his life partner, recalls, “He once told me that as a child he wanted to go inside the television with all the people he encountered there. With his acting career, he went on to fulfill that dream for himself.”
Despite his passion for acting, Gerdes’ career began as a singer/songwriter. A couple of years after his graduation from Carnegie Mellon University in 1969, he recorded two folk/pop albums, titled Obituary and Son of Obituary, that were released in 1971 and 1972, respectively. Joni Mitchell was a fan of his music, describing his song “Say So What Else Is New?” as “the happiest sad song I’ve ever heard.”
Gerdes got his start in acting in the 80s, making appearances in Broadway shows including Fool for Love and A Few Good Men.
George Gerdes is survived by his sister Julia, his life partner Judy Johns, and his three nephews, Zachary, Michael, and Will.