Latest news with #AlfClausen
Wall Street Journal
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
Alf Clausen, ‘The Simpsons' Composer Who Wrote Songs in the Key of Springfield, Dies at 84
When the residents of Springfield gathered to discuss how to spend the $3 million Mr. Burns was forced to pay the city for dumping nuclear waste into a local park, Marge Simpson suggested it go toward something sensible—filling potholes. But a slick salesman entranced the audience with another idea: 'The Springfield Monorail.' Putting his pitch to song, he had the whole town singing: 'Monorail! Monorail! Monorail!' Marge's objections didn't stand a chance. 'But Main Street's still all cracked and broken!' 'Sorry, mom,' Bart quipped, 'the mob has spoken.' 'Marge vs. the Monorail,' a classic episode of 'The Simpsons,' was written by Conan O'Brien, just before he made the jump to his late-night talk show, but the 'Music Man'-inspired song was penned by Alf Clausen, the composer for the bulk of the series. His work was central to the animated show's DNA.
New York Times
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Alf Clausen, Who Gave ‘The Simpsons' Its Musical Identity, Dies at 84
Alf Clausen, a composer and arranger whose songs, interludes and closing credits for hundreds of episodes of 'The Simpsons' were so central to the animated sitcom's success that its creator, Matt Groening, often called him the show's 'secret weapon,' died on Thursday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 84. His daughter, Kaarin Clausen, said the cause was progressive supranuclear palsy, a brain disorder similar to Parkinson's disease. Mr. Clausen worked on every episode of 'The Simpsons' across 27 seasons, from 1990 to 2017. He did not compose the show's memorable opening theme — that was Danny Elfman — but he was responsible for everything else, including classic musical numbers like 'Who Needs the Kwik-E Mart,' 'We Do (The Stonecutters' Song),' 'We Put the Spring in Springfield' and 'You're Checking In.' Mr. Clausen won Emmys for the last two songs, in 1997 and 1998. He was nominated for 19 more awards for 'The Simpsons,' and was nominated nine other times for earlier work. When Mr. Groening first approached Mr. Clausen to work on the show, he demurred. He wanted to work on dramas; cartoons and comedy did not interest him. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Simpsons' Icon Dead at 84 After Private Health Battle
'Simpsons' Icon Dead at 84 After Private Health Battle originally appeared on Parade. The Simpsons icon, Emmy-winning composer , is dead at 84 after working for 27 years on the beloved show. On Thursday, May 29, Clausen died at his Valley Village home in Los Angeles, Calif., according to The Hollywood Reporter. His death came after he was diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) in 2017. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 In 1990, the composer joined The Simpsons for Season 2; his work continued on the show until Season 28 in 2017. Clausen won two Emmys and was nominated 21 other times for his music in the animated Fox series. In addition to The Simpsons, Clausen's work appeared in Moonlighting and ALF. Fans took to social media with touching tributes in the wake of Clausen's death. One X user wrote, "RIP to Alf Clausen an incredibly talented man who did so much for @TheSimpsons." Another fan shared via X, "This one's a really sad loss. Alf Clausen, who scored every episode from seasons 2 to 28, has passed away. I could go on and on about how much his tunes for the show have lived rent free in my head." Someone else commented, "He will be greatly missed. I really love his compositions in the show," alongside a dove emoji. A different X user replied, "His composition in the episode 'Colonel Homer' was some of the best. May he rest in peace." Meanwhile, yet another fan declared, "RIP Alf Clausen, former Simpsons composer. Was truly one of my favorite composers of all time," adding a red heart emoji. Next: 'Simpsons' Icon Dead at 84 After Private Health Battle first appeared on Parade on Jun 2, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Daily Mirror
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
The Simpsons legend dies after battle with rare neurological illness
Alf Clausen, the composer best known for his 27 year stint on The Simpsons has died aged 84. The film composer passed away on Thursday at his Valley Village home in Los Angeles after a battle with a rare illness. The star had been diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) in his mid-seventies. There is currently no cure for the condition which affects vision, speech, movement and balance.
Daily Mail
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Emmy-award winning The Simpsons composer dies aged 84 after long battle with a rare neurological illness
Legendary composer Alf Clausen best known for his 27-year stint on The Simpsons has died at the age of 84 after a long battle with a rare illness. The film composer passed away on Thursday at his Valley Village home in Los Angeles, his daughter Kaarin told The Hollywood Reporter. Clausen is survived by his wife Sally, children Kaarin, Scott and Kyle, stepchildren Josh and Emily, and 11 grandchildren. Karin revealed her father had been diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) around eight years ago when he was in his mid-seventies. PSP is a rare, progressive neurological condition that affects movement, balance, vision, speech, and swallowing. There is currently no cure. Clausen, whose score credits include TV series Moonlighting and film Ferris Bueller's Day Off, scored many of The Simpsons' iconic melodies after joining the show in 1990 for its second season. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Daily Mail's showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. In all, the musician garnered 23 Emmy nods for his work on The Simpsons, taking home the trophy in 1997 and 1998. Clausen took home the gong with lyricist Ken Keeler 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). He also received seven Emmy nods for his work on other projects. Variety reported that Clausen used a 35-piece orchestra each week and the costs for the original music ran into millions of dollars a year. In addition to his work on The Simpsons, the composer has also worked on such fiums and TV shows as Moonlighting, The Naked Gun and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. He worked on the beloved cartoon right up until its 27th season in 2017 - when his relationship with bosses soured and he was dismissed from the role. Clausen's relationship with the show didn't remain a rosy one, as he filed a lawsuit in 2019 alleging he was fired from the series because of his age and a perceived disability. But in court documents filed by Fox and Simpsons executives, and seen by The Hollywood Reporter in 2020, producers said Clausen was let go because he was unofficially delegating his work to others, including his son. revealed that Fox's defence argued that the media company's decision is protected under its First Amendment rights. Fox was seeking to have Clausen's suit dismissed under California's SLAPP statute which permits media companies to make staffing decisions based on protected free speech. Attorneys for Fox also argued that Clausen was unlikely to prevail in his complaint because he was an independent contractor and not an employee. According to the situation came to a head in November 2016 when work had begun on an episode of the animated series titled The Great Phatsby, a hip-hop spoof of F. Scott Fitzgerald's celebrated novel The Great Gatsby. Simpsons producer James L. Brooks 'questioned whether Clausen was the right person to prepare rap music and questioned his work more generally', Simpsons producer Richard Sakei says in a statement filed with the court. Sakei went on: 'Around that time, I learned that Clausen had been delegating some of the work of composing music for The Simpsons to others, including his son Scott Clausen.' Sakei says he thought this unauthorised delegation of work by Clausen was 'unacceptable' and notified Simpsons showrunner Al Jean about it. Following a meeting between Sakei, Jean, Brooks and showrunner Mat Selman, Sakai states: 'We decided that we could improve the music on the show by replacing him.' The matter was resolved in February 2022 after Clausen reached a settlement with Fox.
