Emmy-winning The Simpsons icon dies aged 84 after battle with rare illness as tributes flood in

Scottish Sun

4 days ago

He was nominated for a total of 30 Emmys throughout his career
UNSUNG HERO Emmy-winning The Simpsons icon dies aged 84 after battle with rare illness as tributes flood in
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AN ICON who worked on the beloved animated comedy series, The Simpsons, for 27 years has died.
Veteran composer, Alf Clausen, who scored for the hit show, has died at the age of 84 following an illness.
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Alf Clausen died at his home last week following an illness
Credit: Getty
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Clausen worked on the hit show for 27 years
Credit: Getty
The Emmy winner died on Thursday, May 29 at his Valley Village home in Los Angeles.
Clausen was diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy eight years ago.
He joined The Simpsons from the second series in 1990 and continued working on the show until its 28th season in 2017.
He was behind some of the shows iconic songs and, along with lyricist Ken Keeler, won an Emmy award in 1997 and 1998 for the songs We Put the Spring in Springfield and You're Checkin' In (A Musical Tribute to the Betty Ford Center).
Clausen's first break as a TV composer came in 1985 on the ABC show, Moonlighting, starring Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd.
He also started composing on ALF, the 80s sitcom, during this period where he provided the theme song and scored over 100 episodes.
But when offered the opportunity to work on The Simpsons he was initially reluctant to work on the show, preferring to work on films.
But Matt Groening, series creator of The Simpsons, convinced Clausen that he was perfect for the role.
He was nominated for another 21 Emmys for his work on the programme in addition to the two he won in the 1990s.
He was nominated for a total of 30 throughout his career.
While Clausen did not compose the main theme music for The Simpsons, his music often used that composition and he also rearranged and re-recorded the theme throughout his time on the show.
In August 2019, Clausen filed a lawsuit against both Disney and Fox following his dismissal from the animated series.
He alleged his dismissal owed to his age and medical conditions but Disney lawyers managed to get this aspect of the case dismissed in 2020.
Clausen continued with other elements of his claim including wrongful discharge and retaliation.
He resolved the matter after reaching a settlement with Fox in February 2022.
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Clausen was nominated for a total of 30 Emmys throughout his career
Credit: Getty