Latest news with #Donny&Marie
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Alf Clausen, Emmy-winning composer who wrote music for ‘The Simpsons' for 27 years, dies at 84
Al Jean, an early 'Simpsons' writer who was one of the key creative figures on the show in the 1990s, said in a post on X Friday that 'Clausen was an incredibly talented man who did so much for The Simpsons.' While Danny Elfman wrote the show's theme song, Mr. Clausen joined the Fox animated series created by Matt Groening in 1990 and provided essentially all of its music until 2017, composing nearly 600 scores and conducting the 35-piece orchestra that played it in the studio. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up His colleagues said his music was a key component of the show's comedy, but Mr. Clausen believed the best way to back up the gags of Homer, Marge, Bart, and Lisa was by making the music as straight as possible. Advertisement 'This is a dream job for a composer,' Mr. Clausen told Variety, which first reported his death, in 1998. 'Matt Groening said to me very early on, 'We're not a cartoon. We're a drama where the characters are drawn. I want you to score it like a drama.' I score the emotions of the characters as opposed to specific action hits on the screen.' Advertisement Groening, in a 1996 interview, called him 'one of the unacknowledged treasures of the show.' Mr. Clausen was born in Minneapolis and raised in Jamestown, N.D. He graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 1966 and moved to Los Angeles seeking a career in music. In the 1970s he was a musical director on several TV variety shows including 'Donny & Marie.' Mr. Clausen worked as an orchestrator for composer Lee Holdridge in his scores for 1980s films including 'Splash' and 'The Beastmaster.' It was Holdridge who first got the composing job on 'Moonlighting,' the late-80s ABC rom-com detective series starring Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd, but he handed the gig off to Mr. Clausen, who would get six Emmy nominations for his music on it. Mr. Clausen won his Emmys for 'The Simpsons' in 1997 and 1998 and also won five Annie Awards, which honor work in animation in film and television. He was fired from 'The Simpsons' in a cost-cutting move in 2017, to the outrage of his collaborators and fans. He sued over his dismissal. In addition to his daughter, Mr. Clausen leaves his wife, Sally, two other children Scott and Kyle, stepchildren Josh and Emily, and 11 grandchildren.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Alf Clausen, Iconic 'Simpsons' Composer and Emmy Winner, Dies at 84
Alf Clausen , the iconic composer whose work shaped the soundtrack of " The Simpsons " for almost three decades, has passed away at 84 after a long fight against Parkinson's disease . Clausen died at his residence in Los Angeles , according to his daughter, Kaarin Clausen. His death signals the closing of a chapter in television music, especially animation. A Minneapolis native who grew up in Jamestown, North Dakota, Clausen graduated in 1966 from Berklee College of Music and started out in Los Angeles, first as a musical director for variety programs such as Donny & Marie and later as a television scorer. His first big break was with the ABC series "Moonlighting" and the TV sitcom ALF, but it was his time with "The Simpsons" that made him a legend. Clausen was added to The Simpsons staff in its second season, in 1990, and ended up writing nearly 600 original scores for the series—more than any other television show. Danny Elfman wrote the show's signature theme, while Clausen wrote the episode scores, leading a 35-piece orchestra every week to bring the cartoon world to life. He was nominated for 30 Emmys—21 for "The Simpsons"—and won twice, with five Annie Awards as well for his work. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Click Here To Read More - micro segmentation software Expertinspector Click Here Undo Colleagues and fans alike credit Clausen's music as integral to the show's humor and emotional depth. Al Jean, a longtime writer and producer, stated, 'Clausen was an incredibly talented man who contributed immensely to The Simpsons. Clausen himself once described the role as a dream job, recalling creator Matt Groening's advice: 'We're not a cartoon. We're a drama with drawn characters. I want you to grade it as a drama." This mindset made Clausen emphasize the emotional subtext of each episode, accentuating the show's long-term appeal across generations. Clausen's 2017 firing on cost-cutting grounds was greeted by general dismay from fans and industry colleagues. Nonetheless, his legacy persists, with producers dedicating him "composer emeritus" for his enormous contribution. Live Events Alf Clausen leaves behind a legacy of musical achievement that raised the bar for animated television and inspired scores of composers to follow.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Comedy Writer Bruce Vilanch Looks Back at the Worst Shows in TV History
Comedy writer Bruce Vilanch has put words in the mouths of Hollywood's biggest stars for decades. His new book, It Seemed Like a Bad Idea at the Time: The Worst TV Shows in History and Other Things I Wrote, is a look back at some of his lesser triumphs. He's won two Emmys, written 25 Oscar shows and even made a cameo on The Simpsons, but Bruce Vilanch thinks his flamboyant personality has always been his calling card. Aside from his bon mots, his mop of blond hair, bright red glasses and outrageous gag T-shirts have endeared him to generations of fans. During the 1970s and '80s, between writing variety shows for Dolly Parton, Bette Midler and Donny & Marie, Vilanch helped create some truly bizarre comedy gold like 1978's infamous Star Wars Holiday Special and 1976's The Brady Bunch Variety Hour that even he can't believe aired on network television. Q: Why do people still love to talk about these funny shows? A: People tend to remember things from their childhood, which is one reason the things I did resonate with people today. Star Wars and The Brady Bunch continue to be around with seven or eight iterations of each and airing on some channel you've never heard of. I only watched The Brady Bunch because I was a TV critic for the Chicago Tribune and irony of ironies, I was writing for these brilliant children. In her later years, Ann B. Davis was in a Jesus commune in Colorado and not doing anything Jesus wouldn't like but she was pretty hip and the life she had forsaken was a colorful one. Q: Would you call the shows in the book failures? A: Probably. It's a dainty phrase. Some of them got good ratings but were not remembered as being good shows or classic shows. The Star Wars special was dead and buried until fans unearthed it and went after George Lucas not understanding why a Star Wars special had Bea Arthur dancing. I hear from people who remember seeing it as an 8-year-old and loving it, but these were written by grown-up people for grown-up people. I think by that yardstick, they were failures, but they've lived on in the culture as curiosities. Q: Could shows like this get past the gatekeepers today? A: There are still gatekeepers, but now you can create your own comedy and put it on the internet and one of the gatekeepers will buy it and make you wealthy. I give you Randy Rainbow, who made a fortune online before he hooked up with corporate entertainment and made more. If I were 20 years old, I would create a character for Bruce and put him on the internet. It's far better than pounding the pavement hoping someone will read your script. Q: What is bad taste? A: Doing something you shouldn't do. Dropping your pants in front of your mother's card game. Not reading the room or knowing the rules and going ahead anyway. Kitsch is part of it, when people do something in earnestness that they think is wonderful but is truly awful.
Fox News
06-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Donny Osmond adds AI version of himself as a teen to Las Vegas residency
Donny Osmond is bringing on a new co-star for his Las Vegas residency: himself. "We are going to be making history together," the legendary crooner told his fans in a video he shared to Instagram. "Can you imagine sharing the stage with your 14-year-old self?" He said, "Thanks to some mind-blowing AI and CGI technology, I'm going to be talking and singing with Donny Osmond – you know, the one from 1972." A preview of the technology showed Osmond sitting next to himself as a young teen wearing a purple hat, brown pants and a flowered shirt, talking about how one of them is the "real" Donny Osmond and the other is the "original." "Thanks to some mind-blowing AI and CGI technology, I'm going to be talking and singing with Donny Osmond – you know, the one from 1972." "What does it feel like to sing with yourself 50 years in the future?" the 67-year-old Osmond asks himself in the clip. His younger self said it was kind of like singing with his grandpa. "I am your grandpa," he answered. "You're my grandson, Daxton Osmond." He snapped his fingers and the AI filter dropped, showing Daxton. "Well, I guess I am Daxton Osmond," Daxton answered before snapping his own fingers, putting the filter that changed his voice and face back in place, "but I do like to be Donny Osmond." "The future's so fun!" 1972 Donny Osmond added. "It's so fun, isn't it," the older version laughed. "It's incredible. This is something you're not going to want to miss," Osmond added to fans. Last year, Osmond told Fox News Digital that while artificial intelligence has its pitfalls in the industry, in the right way, there are endless possibilities. "AI is a tool, not a substitute," he said. "So, I love the prospects of AI. I love what it can do for me as a producer, as an artist – as a tool. And that's it." Osmond had previously revealed that he would have a new co-star, teasing that the person was "a great singer, they're an Osmond, and maybe, just maybe, the best dressed Osmond." Osmond and his younger sister and former TV co-star Marie Osmond had a Las Vegas residency that went on for more than 11 years, ending in 2019. Osmond began his solo residency at Harrah's Las Vegas Showroom in 2021, and it runs through this June. The 67-year-old became a teen idol in the early 1970s thanks to hits like "Puppy Love" and "I Knew You When" and he and Marie Osmond starred on "Donny & Marie" from 1976 until 1979.
