Alf Clausen, Emmy-winning composer for ‘The Simpsons,’ dies at 84

LOS ANGELES — Alf Clausen, the Emmy-winning composer whose music offered important accompaniment for the animated antics of “The Simpsons” for 27 years, has died.

His daughter Kaarin Clausen advised The Related Press that Alf Clausen died Thursday at his residence in Los Angeles after scuffling with Parkinson’s illness for a couple of decade. He was 84.

Clausen, who additionally scored TV collection together with “Moonlighting” and “Alf” (“no relation,” he used to joke) was nominated for 30 Emmy Awards, 21 of them for “The Simpsons.” He gained twice.

Al Jean, an early “Simpsons” author who was one of many key inventive figures on the present within the Nineteen Nineties, stated in a submit on X Friday that “Clausen was an extremely proficient man who did a lot for The Simpsons.”

Danny Elfman wrote the present’s theme tune, however Clausen joined the Fox animated collection created by Matt Groening in 1990 and offered primarily all of its music till 2017, composing almost 600 scores and conducting the 35-piece orchestra that performed it within the studio

His colleagues stated his music was a key part of the present’s comedy, however Clausen believed one of the simplest ways to again up the gags of Homer, Marge Bart and Lisa was by making the music as straight as attainable.

“This can be a dream job for a composer,” Clausen advised Selection, which first reported his loss of life, in 1998. “Matt Groening stated to me very early on, ‘We’re not a cartoon. We’re a drama the place the characters are drawn. I would like you to attain it like a drama.’ I rating the feelings of the characters versus particular motion hits on the display.”

Groening, in a 1996 interview, known as him “one of many unacknowledged treasures of the present.”

Clausen was born in Minneapolis and raised in Jamestown, North Dakota. He graduated from the Berklee School of Music in 1966, and moved to Los Angeles looking for a profession in music.

Within the Seventies he was a musical director on a number of TV selection reveals together with “Donny & Marie.”

Clausen labored as an orchestrator for composer Lee Holdridge in his scores for Eighties movies together with “Splash” and “The Beastmaster.”

It was Holdridge who first acquired the composing job on “Moonlighting,” the late-80s ABC rom-com detective collection starring Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd, however he handed the gig off to Clausen, who would get six Emmy nominations for his music on it.

Clausen gained his Emmys for “The Simpsons” in 1997 and 1998. He additionally gained 5 Annie Awards, which honor work in animation in movie and tv.

He was fired from “The Simpsons” in a cost-cutting transfer in 2017, to the outrage of his collaborators and followers. He sued over his dismissal.

Clausen is survived by his spouse Sally, youngsters Kaarin, Scott and Kyle, stepchildren Josh and Emily, and 11 grandchildren.