The Simpsons composer, arranger Alf Clausen dies at age 84

Alf Clausen, a composer and arranger whose songs, interludes and closing credits for hundreds of episodes of The Simpsons were so central to the animated sitcom's success that its creator, Matt Groening, often called him the show's "secret weapon, died on Thursday at his home in Los Angeles.

- CLAY RISEN

He was 84.

His daughter, Kaarin Clausen, said the cause was progressive supranuclear palsy, a brain disorder similar to Parkinson’s disease.

Clausen worked on every episode of The Simpsons across 27 seasons, from 1990 to 2017.

He did not compose the show's memorable opening theme — that was Danny Elfman — but he was responsible for everything else, including classic musical numbers like Who Needs The Kwik-E Mart, We Do (The Stonecutters' Song), We Put the Spring In Springfield and You're Checking In.

Clausen won Emmys for the last two songs, in 1997 and 1998. He was nominated for 19 more awards for The Simpsons, and was nominated nine other times for earlier work.

When Groening first approached Clausen to work on the show, he demurred. He wanted to work on dramas; cartoons and comedy did not interest him.

Groening won him over with his description of what The Simpsons would be: not a cartoon, but a show that happened to be drawn; not a simple comedy, but a family drama that happened to be extremely funny.