Alf Clausen, the Emmy-winning composer known for creating the memorable music that accompanied “The Simpsons” for 27 years, has passed away. His daughter Kaarin Clausen shared that he died on Thursday at his home in Los Angeles after battling Parkinson’s Disease for about ten years. He was 84 years old.
Clausen, who also composed for TV shows like “Moonlighting” and “Alf” (a name he often joked was unrelated to him), earned 30 Emmy nominations throughout his career, including 21 for his work on “The Simpsons,” winning twice.
Al Jean, one of the original writers and a major creative force behind the show in the 1990s, praised Clausen on social media, calling him an incredibly talented man who contributed greatly to “The Simpsons.”
While Danny Elfman composed the iconic theme song for the series, Clausen joined the Fox animated show, created by Matt Groening, in 1990 and was responsible for almost all of its music until 2017. Over the years, he composed nearly 600 scores and conducted a 35-piece orchestra for the recordings.
Colleagues noted that Clausen’s music was a vital part of the show’s humor, but he himself believed the best way to support the antics of Homer, Marge, Bart, and Lisa was through sincere, straightforward music. In a 1998 interview, Clausen said, “Matt Groening told me 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 focus on scoring the emotions of the characters rather than just matching action on screen.”
Matt Groening called Clausen “one of the unacknowledged treasures of the show” in a 1996 interview.
Born in Minneapolis and raised in Jamestown, North Dakota, Clausen graduated from Berklee College of Music in 1966 and later moved to Los Angeles to pursue a music career.
During the 1970s, he worked as a musical director on several TV variety shows, including “Donny & Marie.” He also served as an orchestrator for composer Lee Holdridge on 1980s films like “Splash” and “The Beastmaster.” Holdridge originally secured the composing role for the late-80s ABC series “Moonlighting” but passed the job to Clausen, who received six Emmy nominations for his work on that show.
Clausen won his Emmys for “The Simpsons” in 1997 and 1998 and earned five Annie Awards, which celebrate achievements in animation.
In 2017, Clausen was let go from “The Simpsons” in a cost-cutting move, a decision that sparked outrage among fans and colleagues. He later filed a lawsuit over his dismissal.
He is survived by his wife Sally, his children Kaarin, Scott, and Kyle, stepchildren Josh and Emily, and 11 grandchildren.
