Alf Clausen, the veteran composer who scored The Simpsons for practically three a long time, has died aged 84.
Clausen died Thursday (Could 29) at his Valley Village house in Los Angeles, his daughter confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. She later took to social media to say he had been preventing a “lengthy and valiant” battle with Parkinson’s illness.
“He left an enormous mark on this world and has touched the lives of hundreds of thousands, and I’m so proud to name him ‘Dad’,” she wrote. “Relaxation straightforward, Maestro. I’ll miss you each day.”
His breakthrough as a TV composer got here in 1985 on the ABC’s Moonlighting, which adopted years of engaged on quite a lot of initiatives, together with music directing and orchestrating.
He later took on composing duties for ALF, as was then provided the Simpsons gig, though he initially resisted it, worrying it was too light-hearted in comparison with his earlier work.
Nevertheless, he started scoring the beloved cartoon comedy in 1990, and ended up writing music for greater than 600 episodes, with its theme tune supplied by Danny Elfman. All through his profession, he acquired 30 Emmy nominations, with 21 of them being for his work on The Simpsons.
The 2-time Emmy award profitable composer – for the songs ‘We Put The Spring In Springfield’ and ‘You’re Checkin’ In (A Musical Tribute To The Betty Ford Heart)’ – was answerable for iconic Simpsons musical moments like The Stonecutters’ track, ‘We Do’, and Mr Burns’ ode to fur, ‘See My Vest’.
Nevertheless, his relationship to the present soured after a authorized battle in 2019. Clausen had filed a lawsuit in opposition to Disney and Fox after he was dismissed from the present after a 27-year tenure, claiming his dismissal was primarily based on ageism and incapacity.
When it was first reported Clausen was leaving, a press release was issued in regards to the composer, starting: “We tremendously worth Alf Clausen’s contributions to The Simpsons, and he’ll proceed to have an ongoing position within the present.”
It went on to say that this was the half the place they might often “make a joke, however neither Alf’s work nor the music of The Simpsons is handled as something however critically by us.”
Footage of Alf Clausen at work on The Simpsons conducting studio musicians at a recording session for “Homer the Heretic” (initially featured in a 1992 Oprah Behind the Scenes particular). pic.twitter.com/7uJr1gPmsY
— On This Day in Simpsons Historical past 🇺🇦 (@dailysimpsons) Could 31, 2025
Certainly, his profession achievements have been important, together with 5 Annie Award wins and 7 ASCAP Movie & TV Music Awards for The Simpsons alone. Clausen additionally bagged the ASCAP’s Golden Be aware Award in 2011, a prize devoted to songwriters, composers, and artists who’ve achieved extraordinary profession milestones.
Amongst these paying tribute have been long-time Simpsons author Al Jean, who wrote on X/Twitter: “Clausen was an extremely proficient man who did a lot for The Simpsons.” Followers additionally took to the location to have fun to composer’s legacy, with one writing: “Don’t assume there’s any doubt that he was one of the vital figures in Simpsons historical past.”
“A lot of the identification of the Simpsons – the stings, the interstitial music cues, the fairly spectacular full musical numbers – have been Alf Clausen,” one other added. “All of it actually aside from the title theme. Foundational to the present.”
He’s survived by his spouse Sally, his kids Kaarin, Scott and Kyle, and stepchildren Josh and Emily.
