The Simpsons composer was fired for letting others create music for him. The record-breaking animated sitcom has been through many different challenges throughout its lengthy history, though it has managed to maintain a cohesive cast along the way.

Between writing, producing and voicing the series’ extensive list of characters, The Simpsons cast has operated in a close-knit fashion. This is likely a major contributor to the series’ ongoing success, and could even be why the comedy flows so seamlessly, rarely feeling as though it’s reaching or trying too hard to get laughs. Whenever there has been issues or problems with The Simpsons, it has often come as the result of something that was in the show itself, and not due to problems between cast members. That being said, after over thirty years of creating countless episodes, disagreements are bound to happen. Three years ago, for example, The Simpsons’ music composer, Alf Clausen, was suddenly let go. Fans were shocked that the man behind some of the program’s most iconic music was no longer a part of The Simpsons team, and questions regarding his departure have persisted ever since.

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Now, for the first time since Clausen was dropped from The Simpsons, the exact reasons for his firing have come to light. Though Clausen maintains he was let go from the show due to age discrimination, as well as a perceived disability (Clausen has Parkinson’s disease), THR discovered the distinguished composer was terminated after it became clear Clausen had his son and others compose music for the series in his place. Simpsons producer Richard Sakai revealed that the truth about Clausen became evident around 2016, while the series was preparing the episode, The Great Phatsby. Said Sakai:

"Around that time, I learned that Clausen had been delegating some of the work of composing music for The Simpsons to others, including his son Scott Clausen. I believed his unauthorized delegation was unacceptable. I called showrunner [Al] Jean and told him that Clausen had been delegating his composing work; he conveyed to me that he was surprised and disturbed as well. We decided that we could improve the music on the show by replacing him.”

Allison Taylor and Lisa on The Simpsons

When Clausen was let go back in 2017, the sole reason that was given for his departure was that The Simpsons was looking for “a different kind of music.” When examined from this angle, it makes sense why Clausen could feel that his firing had to do with his age. The Great Phatsby episode dealt with hip hop, and there is reason to believe that the then 76-year-old Clausen, who worked with an orchestra for the series, might not be the best person to compose hip hop music. However, if what Sakai says is true, it’s hard to justify Clausen being able to keep his job (for which he was making somewhere in the neighborhood of $12,000 per episode). It is indeed a shame that after 27 years of service and countless memorable compositions that Clausen had to be let go, but unfortunately, that was the way that events unfolded.

For now, Clausen’s firing has created a messy court case in which the dismissed musician is suing Fox. Arguably, Clausen feared being let go from the series due to his Parkinson’s and its inevitable effect on his work, but unfortunately, as tragic as Clausen’s illness is, the quality of The Simpsons simply couldn’t be sacrificed as a result. Clausen gave the series much to be thankful for, and although the current situation isn’t ideal, fans will always remember the 79-year-old and his contributions, regardless of age or illness.

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Source: THR