Gerald David "Lorenzo" Music (May 2, 1937 – August 4, 2001) was an American actor, composer, musician, performer, writer and producer. 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 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's comic strip character Garfield in twelve animated specials, and later an animated series, video games, and commercials. His nostalgic, drawling voice as Garfield was imitated by later actors after his death in 2001.

Early life and career Gerald David Music was born on May 2, 1937, in Brooklyn, New York City to Harry and Sophie (née Nessell) Music. He was six years old when his family moved to Duluth, Minnesota because of his father's job at one of the shipyards. His parents later divorced. He was a student at Central High School and then at the University of Minnesota Duluth. 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.

Career Writer Music became a writer and a regular performer on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour from 1967 to 1969 and won an Emmy Award for writing. He was a writer and story editor on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and he co-created The Bob Newhart Show with his writing partner, 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. While casting Rhoda, the producers were looking for a voice actor to play the part of Carlton, the comically unseen doorman. Music had no interest in being an actor, but the producers loved his sleepy, husky voice and offered him that role, which made his voice recognizable to a worldwide television audience. The character was popular enough to warrant a one-off single in 1975 called "Who Is It?" (b/w "The Girl in 510", 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.

Garfield

In the 1980s, Jim Davis's Garfield was the most popular comic strip in America since Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts. Compilation books and merchandising of the strip were topping best-seller lists, and Davis decided to develop an animated television special. The producers were hiring someone to voice the titular character in the strip, who was a fat, lazy, sarcastic, and lasagna-loving 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. Davis responded by saying: "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 animated series, video games, and commercials until his death in 2001.

Other work Music also voiced characters for the animated 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 voice acting for animation.

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. These commercials were animated by Jim Jinkins, and featured a prototype of the titular main character of Jinkins's later television series Doug.

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!"

Music's voice could be heard on Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America Volume Two, released as a CD by 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. Music served as the voice-over for commercials for Ore-Ida Potatoes and Fruit and Cream Strawberry Twinkies. He later served as the pitchman for Ruggles Ice Cream.

Personal life Music was married to composer/writer Henrietta Music for forty-two years. Together they had four children.

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

After Music's passing, Frank Welker took over as the voice of Garfield in three fully CGI films, an animated series, and the Nickelodeon crossover fighting video game All-Star Brawl. Bill Murray also voiced Garfield in two live-action films. Interestingly, Music had voiced Murray’s character, Peter Venkman, in the first two seasons of The Real Ghostbusters before being replaced by Full House star Dave Coulier. In that same series, Welker also voiced Ray Stantz and Slimer. In 2024, Chris Pratt voiced Garfield in a reimagined CGI animated film, which departed from Music’s original vocal style of the character.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1976 Nickelodeon Mullins 1980 Oh Heavenly Dog Carlton 1983 Twice Upon a Time Ralph the All-Purpose Animal (voice) 1986 The Adventures of the American Rabbit Ping (voice)

Television Year Title Role 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 Year Title Role Notes 1980 Carlton Your Doorman Carlton the Doorman TV pilot episode 1982 Here Comes Garfield GarfieldTelevision special 1983 Garfield on the Town Pac-Man Super-Pac 4 episodes 1984 Garfield in the Rough GarfieldTelevision special 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 Larry the Crash Test Dummy PSAs1986 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 run1987 Garfield Goes Hollywood Garfield Television special 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 episodes1989 Garfield's Babes and Bullets Garfield Television special Garfield's Thanksgiving Main-role; TV special1990 Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue Cameo; Television special Garfield's Feline Fantasies Garfield, Lance Sterling Television special 1990–1991 TaleSpin Sgt. Dunder 6 episodes1991 Garfield Gets a Life Garfield Television special Darkwing Duck Spider, Mole 2 episodes

Video games Year Title Role 2000 Garfield's Mad About Cats Garfield

Radio Year Title Role Notes 1998 Adventures in Odyssey Mr. Smith Episode: "A Stranger Among Us"

Production credits Writer Year Title 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)Writer (5 episodes) 1974–1978 Rhoda 2 episodes 1976 The Lorenzo and Henrietta Music Show Main writer The New Lorenzo Music Show Teleplay1980Carlton Your Doorman 1983 Garfield on the Town TV special 1991 Rugrats Episode: "Momma Trauma" 1994 De Sylvia Millecam Show 6 episodes

Producer Year Title Notes 1972–1975 The Bob Newhart Show Executive producer (51 episodes)Producer (6 episodes) 1974–1975 Rhoda 33 episodes 1976 The Lorenzo and Henrietta Music Show Executive producer The New Lorenzo Music Show 1980 Carlton Your Doorman

Consultant Year Title Notes 1970–1972 The Mary Tyler Moore Show Story consultant (24 episodes)Assistant to producers (24 episodes) 1975 Rhoda Executive consultant (5 episodes) 1983 Garfield on the Town Consultant

References

External links