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WIRE: 08/07/2001 5:43 pm ET
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Lorenzo Music, the Emmy-winning writer and actor who played the oft drunk and oft heard but never seen doorman "Carlton" on the popular 1970s sitcom "Rhoda," has died of bone cancer, a spokesman said on Tuesday.
Music, who died on Saturday, was 64 years old.
"He was one of the most lovingly eccentric people I've ever known, a one-of-a-kind," said Jess Danis, Music's agent at ICM. "He was seemingly irreplaceable in our business."
Music was a co-creator and a writer for "Rhoda," which was a spinoff of the original "Mary Tyler Moore Show." The hit sitcom starred Valerie Harper as a struggling New York designer, but it also showcased Music as the ever-inebriated disembodied doorman voice over the intercom.
Music was heard in numerous episodes, usually with the preface, "This is Carlton, your doorman."
Music was known for other vocal work, including the voice of Garfield the Cat in more than a dozen prime-time animated specials.
He appeared on the Saturday morning "Garfield and Friends" show, which was on CBS for seven years.
Music was also the voice of the crash-test dummies on the buckle-your-seatbelt ad campaign.
The Brooklyn-born Music won an Emmy in 1969 as a writer for "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour."
After joining the "Mary Tyler Moore Show" as a junior writer, he teamed with David Davis to co-create and co-produce "The Bob Newhart Show."
Music and his wife, Henrietta also wrote the theme music for the "Bob Newhart Show."
Music is survived by his wife and four children.
Copyright 2001 Reuters News Service.
Q: You've been doing the voice of Garfield since 1982. Are you anything at all like Garfield?
A: Garfield is furry and orange. Sometimes I am furry and in certain light, I appear to be orange.
Q: What is the most memorable line you've ever had to say for Garfield?
A: Probably the line from the Halloween Show, "Candy, Candy, Candy, Candy, Candy, Candy, Candy, Candy!"
Q: Is there a line you're dying to deliver as Garfield, that has not yet been written?
A: "Hey everybody, I've been selected to let you all know that war, hunger, and suffering have officially been eliminated from the earth."
Q: What do you think would amaze members of Club Garfield about you?
A: That for being so talented and handsome, I'm so modest.
Q: What other cartoon characters have you played?
A: I was on "The Gummi Bears." I played the voice of Tummi, the big blue bear and on "Ghostbusters" I played Peter Venkman.
Q: Is it more fun to play a cat or a Crash Test Dummy?
A: Well since this is Garfield's fan club, a cat.
Q: Do kids ever call your house and ask to speak to Garfield?
A: I hope not.
Q: What would your advice be to someone trying to break into the voice-over business?
A: Finish school, go to college, get a doctorate and then follow your dreams.
Originally published in the "Garfield Gazette" at:
http://www.garfield.com/news/lorenzostory1.html
http://www.garfield.com/fan_club/secret/lorenzo.html
Sometimes, it's not what you say, but how you say it. In Lorenzo Music's case -- it's both. Lorenzo is the talented actor/writer/producer/musician who lends his voice to the cantankerous cat and makes sure Garfield always has the last word.
Lorenzo has been the voice behind Garfield since 1982, beginning with the first animated TV special "Here Comes Garfield." And talking on Garfield's behalf has kept him busy: He's recorded 14 animated TV specials, 121 half-hour episodes of "Garfield & Friends," and countless commercials giving Garfield the droll voice characterization that is now famous. He's leant his considerable talents to Garfield in other ways, too. He was the co-writer with Jim Davis on the Emmy Award winning animated special "Garfield on the Town" (1983).
According to Jim Davis, who selected Mr. Music after hearing him audition in Los Angeles at a recording studio, "I wasn't sure exactly what I was looking for. I wanted a lazy, fat voice but what exactly does that sound like? Then I heard Lorenzo's voice and I knew he was perfect. He was Garfield."
Lorenzo is neither fat nor lazy he's made a name for himself in Hollywood where he started as a writer for "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour." He quickly distinguished himself as a real funny guy and even won an Emmy award for "Outstanding Achievement in Comedy Writing." From there, he joined his friend, David Davis (no relation to Jim Davis), and wrote a TV series, "Love, American Style." The two collaborated for next seven years and joined "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" at its conception in 1970, Davis as Producer and Mr. Music as writer. In 1971, the pair created, wrote, and produced "The Bob Newhart Show." A year after that, they developed and produced "Rhoda". Lorenzo stepped out of his role of writer and producer, and took on the roll of Carlton the Doorman, a character never seen, only heard, over Rhoda's intercom. The hilarious characterization of the often tipsy and usually careless doorman became one of the most popular features of the show.
Lorenzo has a slight "peculiarity" when it comes to his public persona, possibly as a result of having been the man "behind the scenes" so often. He never allows a photograph of himself unless his face is at least partially hidden by a hat and sunglasses.
Originally published in the "Garfield Gazette" at:
http://www.garfield.com/news/lorenzostory2.html
Lorenzo with wife Henrietta (1976)
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