He composed music for well-known television series of the 1960s and 1970s, including Mission: Impossible, Gilligan's Island, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Shotgun Slade, Roots, and Star Trek.
Born and raised in The Bronx, New York City, Fried attended The Juilliard School of Music.
"[3][4] Among his television show themes is his jazz-inspired intro for the western series Shotgun Slade.
Fried was known for his collaboration with Quincy Jones on their Emmy Award-winning score for the 1977 miniseries Roots.
He won Golden Pine Award (Lifetime Achievement) at the 2013 International Samobor Film Music Festival, along with Ryuichi Sakamoto and Clint Eastwood.