Editing Lorenzo Music

{{short description|American actor, producer, and writer (1937–2001)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2014}}
{{more citations needed|date=March 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Lorenzo Music
| image              = Lorenzo and Henrietta Music.jpg
| alt                = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software -->
| caption            = Music with his wife Henrietta
| birth_name         = Gerald David Music
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1937|5|2}}
| birth_place        = [[New York City]], U.S.
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|2001|8|4|1937|5|2}}
| death_place        = [[Los Angeles]], California, U.S.
| other_names        = L. Music
| alma_mater         = [[University of Minnesota Duluth]]
| occupation         = {{hlist|Actor|performer|writer|producer}}
| years_active       = 1958–2001
| spouse             = {{marriage|Henrietta Music|1959<!--As marriage ended by death of Music, not by death of his spouse, the year 2001 is omitted here. See instructions on [[Template:Marriage]] for more info-->}}
| children           = 4
| relatives          = [[Carla Lalli Music]] (daughter-in-law)
}}
'''Gerald David''' "'''Lorenzo'''" '''Music''' (May 2, 1937 – August 4, 2001) was an American actor, composer, musician, performer, writer and producer.<ref name=NYT>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/08/arts/lorenzo-music-actor-64.html| newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|title=Lorenzo Music – Actor, 64| agency=[[Associated Press]]| date=August 8, 2001}}</ref> Music began his career in the 1960s with his wife, Henrietta, forming the comedy duo Gerald and His Hen. He then became a writer and a regular performer on the controversial [[CBS]] variety show ''[[The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour]]''. In the 1970s, Music co-created the sitcom ''[[The Bob Newhart Show]]'' with [[David Davis (TV producer)|David Davis]] and composed its theme music with his wife. He also wrote episodes for ''[[The Mary Tyler Moore Show]]'' and ''[[Rhoda]]'', and got a major voiceover role for playing the unseen, but often heard, Carlton the Doorman in ''Rhoda''. Music gained fame in the 1980s for voicing [[Jim Davis (cartoonist)|Jim Davis]]' comic strip character [[Garfield (character)|Garfield]] in [[Garfield television specials|twelve animated specials]], and later an [[Garfield and Friends|animated series]], video games, and commercials. The distinctive drawling voice Music gave Garfield was extensively emulated by other actors following his death in 2001.<ref name=NYT/>

==Early life and career==
Gerald David Music was born on May 2, 1937, in [[Brooklyn]], [[New York City]] to Harry and Sophie (nee Nessell) Music.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lorenzo Music |url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Lorenzo-Music/ |access-date=February 15, 2024 |website=Behind the Voice Actors}}</ref> He was six years old when his family moved to [[Duluth, Minnesota]] because of his father's job at one of the shipyards.<ref name="NYT" /> His parents later divorced. He was a student at [[Central High School (Duluth, Minnesota)|Central High School]] and then at the [[University of Minnesota Duluth]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Lorenzo Music |url=http://zenithcity.com/archive/people-biography/lorenzo-music/ |website=Zenith City Press|date=April 16, 2017 | access-date=5 August 2018}}</ref> Music met his wife, Henrietta, in college at its Theatre Arts Department. Together, they had four children and formed a comedy duo, Gerald and His Hen, performing together for eight years, even performing at a [[USO]] show in Japan.<ref name=":0">{{cite news| title=Lorenzo Music; Voice of Garfield the Cat| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-aug-08-me-31716-story.html| date=August 8, 2001| first=Myrna| last=Oliver| newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref><ref name=NYT/>

==Career==
===Writer===
Music became a writer and a regular performer on ''[[The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour]]'' from 1967 to 1969 and won an [[Emmy Awards|Emmy Award]] for writing.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lorenzo and Henrietta Music {{!}} College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences {{!}} UMN Duluth |url=https://cahss.d.umn.edu/articles/125-musics |access-date=2024-02-15 |website=cahss.d.umn.edu}}</ref> He was a writer and story editor on ''[[The Mary Tyler Moore Show]],''<ref>{{Cite news |agency=Associated Press |title=Lorenzo Music, voice of Garfield, dies |url=https://www.chron.com/news/nation-world/article/lorenzo-music-voice-of-garfield-dies-2053670.php |access-date=2024-02-15 |work=Chron |language=en}}</ref> and he co-created ''[[The Bob Newhart Show]]'' with his writing partner, [[David Davis (TV producer)|David Davis]]. The show ran on CBS from 1972 to 1978; he also co-wrote the theme song to the show with his wife.

Music continued writing for ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' spin-off ''[[Rhoda]],'' which he co-developed with Davis.<ref name="NYT" /> While casting ''Rhoda'', the producers were looking for a voice actor to play the part of Carlton, the comically unseen doorman.<ref name="NYT" /> Music had no interest in being an actor, but the producers loved his sleepy, husky voice and offered him that role,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Oliver |first=Myrna |date=2001-08-08 |title=Lorenzo Music; Voice of Garfield the Cat |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-aug-08-me-31716-story.html |access-date=2024-07-31 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> which made his voice recognizable to a worldwide television audience. <ref name=":0" />The character was popular enough to warrant a one-off single in 1975 called "Who Is It?" ([[A-side and B-side#B/W|b/w]] "The Girl in 510", [[United Artists Records|United Artists]] UA-XW643-X), which became a regional hit. Music also co-produced and co-wrote a 1980 animated special titled ''[[Carlton Your Doorman]]'', which won an Emmy Award. Though it was a pilot episode, CBS did not pick it up as a series.

In 1976, Lorenzo and Henrietta were given the opportunity to host a syndicated television variety show of their own. ''The Lorenzo and Henrietta Music Show'' was produced at a time when there was a glut of television variety shows, but it did not last. In 1983, Music voiced Ralph the All-Purpose Animal in the stop-motion animated film ''[[Twice Upon a Time (1983 film)|Twice Upon a Time]]''.

===''Garfield''===
{{Main|Garfield}}
In the 1980s, [[Jim Davis (cartoonist)|Jim Davis]]' ''Garfield'' was the most popular comic strip in America since [[Charles M. Schulz]]'s ''[[Peanuts]]''. [[Garfield merchandise|Compilation books and merchandising of the strip]] were topping best-seller lists, and Davis was negotiating to make an [[Garfield television specials|animated television special]]. Producers needed someone to voice the main character in the strip: [[Garfield (character)|Garfield]], a fat, lazy, sarcastic, and demanding cat. The audition attracted several famed vocal talents, including [[Sterling Holloway]], the voice of [[Winnie the Pooh]]. After one audition, Music was immediately cast as the voice of Garfield; in Davis' words: "I looked at the room full of [voice] actors, and then in the corner I saw Lorenzo, quietly licking himself". Music would serve as the voice of Garfield in all twelve specials, an [[Garfield and Friends|animated series]], video games, and commercials until his death in 2001.

===Other work===
Music also voiced characters for the animated series ''[[Pac-Man (TV series)|Pac-Man]]'', ''[[Adventures of the Gummi Bears]]'', ''[[Fluppy Dogs]]'', ''[[The Real Ghostbusters]]'', ''[[Pound Puppies]]'', ''[[TaleSpin]]'', and ''[[Darkwing Duck]]''. After ''Garfield and Friends'' ended in 1994, Music retired from cartoon voice acting.

Music did voice-overs for many commercials for prime-time TV, such as Larry the Crash Test Dummy in the "You Could Learn a Lot from a Dummy" public safety announcements sponsored by the [[U.S. Department of Transportation]] and for Florida grapefruit juice, a lesser-known series of commercials extolling Florida agriculture as opposed to the more popular "Florida orange juice" commercials.

In keeping with his beliefs in [[Subud]] and its emphasis on charity, Music frequently volunteered his time on a [[suicide hotline]]. Music recalled that sometimes a caller would change his tone: "I am bankrupt, my wife ran off with another man... Hey, you sound just like that cat on TV!"<ref name="evanier">{{cite web| last1=Evanier| first1=Mark| title=Lorenzo Music, R.I.P.| url=http://www.newsfromme.com/2001/08/05/lorenzo-music-r-i-p/| website=News From Me| author-link=Mark Evanier| date=August 5, 2001| access-date=March 30, 2016}}</ref>

Music's voice could be heard on ''[[Stan Freberg]] Presents the United States of America Volume Two'' album, released as a CD by [[Rhino Entertainment|Rhino Records]]. Music appeared on the album as [[James Madison]] and [[Robert E. Lee]]. He also appeared as an intercom announcer on an episode of ''[[The Drew Carey Show]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lorenzo Music: Actor |url=https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0615718/filmotype/actor?ref_=m_nmfm_2 |website=[[IMDb]] |access-date=25 November 2021}}</ref> Music served as the voice-over for commercials for [[Ore-Ida]] Potatoes and [[Twinkie|Fruit and Cream Strawberry Twinkies]]. He later served as the pitchman for [[SmithFoods|Ruggles Ice Cream]].

==Personal life==
Music was married to composer/writer Henrietta Music for forty-two years; together they had four children.<ref name=NYT/><ref>{{cite news| title=Lorenzo Music; Voice of Garfield the Cat| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-aug-08-me-31716-story.html| date=August 8, 2001| first=Myrna| last=Oliver| work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref>

==Death and legacy==
Music died from complications related to lung and bone cancer on August 4, 2001, at the age of 64.<ref name=NYT/> His body was cremated, and his ashes were scattered at sea.

Since Music's death, [[Frank Welker]] replaced him as the voice of Garfield in three fully-CGI films, an [[The Garfield Show|animated series]], and the [[Nickelodeon]] crossover fighting video game ''[[Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl|All-Star Brawl]]''. Garfield's voice was also provided by [[Bill Murray]] in two live-action films. Coincidentally, Music voiced [[Peter Venkman]] in the first two seasons of ''The Real Ghostbusters'' before being replaced by [[Dave Coulier]]. Welker provided the voices of [[Ray Stantz]] and [[Slimer]] in the same series as well. [[Chris Pratt]] voiced Garfield in a [[The Garfield Movie|CGI animated film]] in 2024, using a voice that departed from Music's interpretation of the character.

==Filmography==
===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable"| Notes
|-
| 1976
| ''[[Nickelodeon (film)|Nickelodeon]]''
| Mullins
| 
|-
| 1980
| ''[[Oh Heavenly Dog]]''
| Carlton
|
|-
| 1983
| ''[[Twice Upon a Time (1983 film)|Twice Upon a Time]]''
| Ralph the All-Purpose Animal (voice)
|
|-
| 1986
| ''[[The Adventures of the American Rabbit]]''
| Ping (voice)
|
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable"| Notes
|-
| 1967–1969
| ''[[The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour]]''
| Regular Performer
| 50 episodes
|-
| 1974–1978
| ''[[Rhoda]]''
| Carlton the Doorman
| 82 episodes
|-
| 1975
| ''[[Tattletales]]''
| Himself/Contestant
| 6 episodes
|-
| 1976
| ''The Lorenzo and Henrietta Music Show''
| Himself/host
| 35 episodes
|-
| 1996
| ''[[The Drew Carey Show]]''
| Store Announcer
| Episode: "There Is No Scientific Name for a Show About God"
|}

===Animation===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable"| Notes
|-
| 1980
| ''[[Carlton Your Doorman]]''
| Carlton the Doorman
| TV pilot episode
|-
| 1982
| ''[[Here Comes Garfield]]''
| rowspan=2 | [[Garfield (character)|Garfield]]
| rowspan=2|Television special
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1983
| ''[[Garfield on the Town]]''
|-
| ''[[Pac-Man (TV series)|Pac-Man]]''
| Super-Pac
| 4 episodes
|-
| 1984
| ''[[Garfield in the Rough]]''
| rowspan=2 | Garfield
| rowspan=2|Television special
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1985
| ''[[Garfield in Disguise]]''
|-
| ''[[The GLO Friends Save Christmas]]''
| Moose
| Television film
|-
| 1985–1991
| ''[[Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears]]''
| Tummi Gummi, Knight, Man, Additional voices
| 60 episodes
|-
| 1985-1999
| ''[[The Incredible Crash Dummies|The Incredible Crash Test Dummies]]''
| Larry the Crash Test Dummy
| PSAs
|-
|  rowspan=2 |1986
| ''[[Garfield in Paradise]]''
| Garfield
| Television special
|-
| ''[[Fluppy Dogs]]''
| Ozzie
| Television film
|-
| 1986–1987
| ''[[The Real Ghostbusters]]'' 
| [[Peter Venkman]]
| Main-role; 78 episodes; first season and syndication run
|-
|  rowspan=4 |1987
| ''[[Garfield Goes Hollywood]]''
| Garfield
| Television special
|-
| ''[[Pound Puppies (1986 TV series)|Pound Puppies]]'' 
| Teensy
| Episode: "Little Big Dog/The Bright Eyes Mob"
|-
| ''[[The Jetsons]]''
| Florist
| Episode: "The Odd Pod"
|-
| ''[[A Garfield Christmas Special]]''
| Garfield
| Television special
|-
| 1988–1994
| ''[[Garfield and Friends]]''
| Garfield, Charlie, Devil Garfield, Angel Garfield, Additional voices
| Main-role; 121 episodes
|-
| 1988
| ''[[Garfield: His 9 Lives]]''
| Garfield
| Television special
|-
| 1988–1989
| ''[[Fantastic Max]]''
| Additional voices
| 3 episodes
|-
|  rowspan=2 |1989
| ''[[Garfield's Babes and Bullets]]''
| rowspan=3 | Garfield
| Television special
|-
| ''[[Garfield's Thanksgiving]]''
| Main-role; TV special
|-
|  rowspan=2 |1990
| ''[[Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue]]''
| Cameo; Television special
|-
| ''[[Garfield's Feline Fantasies]]''
| Garfield, Lance Sterling
| Television special
|-
| 1990–1991
| ''[[TaleSpin]]''
| Sgt. Dunder
| 6 episodes
|-
| rowspan=3 |1991
| ''[[Garfield Gets a Life]]''
| Garfield
| Television special
|-
| ''[[Darkwing Duck]]''
| Spider, Mole
| 2 episodes
|}

===Video games===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! class="unsortable"| Role
|-
| 2000
| ''[[Garfield's Mad About Cats]]''
| Garfield
|}

===Radio===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable"| Notes
|-
| 1998
| ''[[Adventures in Odyssey]]''
| Mr. Smith
| Episode: "A Stranger Among Us"
|}

==Production credits==
===Writer===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! class="unsortable"| Notes
|-
|  1967–1969
| ''[[The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour]]''
| 54 episodes
|-
| 1969
| ''[[The Leslie Uggams Show]]''
| 10 episodes
|-
| 1969–1970
| ''[[Love, American Style]]''
| 3 episodes
|-
| 1970–1971
| ''[[The Mary Tyler Moore Show]]''
| 8 episodes
|-
| 1972–1978
| ''[[The Bob Newhart Show]]''
| Created by (142 episodes)<br />Writer (5 episodes)
|-
| 1974–1978
| ''[[Rhoda]]''
| 2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1976
| ''The Lorenzo and Henrietta Music Show''
| Main writer
|-
| ''The New Lorenzo Music Show''
| Teleplay
|-
|1980
|''[[Carlton Your Doorman]]''
|
|-
| 1983
| ''[[Garfield on the Town]]''
| TV special
|-
| 1991
| ''[[Rugrats]]''
| Episode: "Momma Trauma"
|-
| 1994
| ''De Sylvia Millecam Show''
| 6 episodes
|}

===Producer===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! class="unsortable"| Notes
|-
| 1972–1975
| ''[[The Bob Newhart Show]]''
| Executive producer (51 episodes)<br />Producer (6 episodes)
|-
| 1974–1975
| ''[[Rhoda]]''
| 33 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1976
| ''The Lorenzo and Henrietta Music Show''
| rowspan="2"| Executive producer
|-
| ''The New Lorenzo Music Show''
|-
| 1980
| ''[[Carlton Your Doorman]]''
|
|}

===Consultant===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! class="unsortable"| Notes
|-
| 1970–1972
| ''[[The Mary Tyler Moore Show]]''
| Story consultant (24 episodes)<br />Assistant to producers (24 episodes)
|-
| 1975
| ''[[Rhoda]]''
| Executive consultant (5 episodes)
|-
| 1983
| ''[[Garfield on the Town]]''
| Consultant
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|0615718}}

{{s-start}}
{{succession box | before = [[Lou Rawls]] (singing voice in ''[[Here Comes Garfield]]'') | title = Voice of [[Garfield the Cat]] | years = 1982–2001 | after = [[Bill Murray]]}}
{{succession box | before = [[Bill Murray]] | title = Voice of [[Peter Venkman|Dr. Peter Venkman]] | years = 1986–1988| after = [[Dave Coulier]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Garfield}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Music, Lorenzo}}
[[Category:1937 births]]
[[Category:2001 deaths]]
[[Category:American comedy writers]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male pop singers]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:American male voice actors]]
[[Category:American people of Croatian descent]]
[[Category:American Subud members]]
[[Category:American television writers]]
[[Category:Deaths from bone cancer in California]]
[[Category:Deaths from lung cancer in California]]
[[Category:Male actors from Duluth, Minnesota]]
[[Category:Male actors from Brooklyn]]
[[Category:American male television writers]]
[[Category:Musicians from Brooklyn]]
[[Category:Musicians from Duluth, Minnesota]]
[[Category:Primetime Emmy Award winners]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from Minnesota]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Television producers from New York City]]
[[Category:University of Minnesota Duluth alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century American screenwriters]]
[[Category:20th-century American male writers]]
[[Category:20th-century American male singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:Television producers from Minnesota]]
[[Category:Comedians from Brooklyn]]
[[Category:Comedians from Minnesota]]