After the show's annual hiatus, The Simpsons season 34, episode 12 returned with a tribute to Chris Ledesma. The Simpsons has been on the air for almost thirty-five years. With 34 seasons and over 700 episodes, The Simpsons is one of the longest-running shows in television history. As such, few professionals can say that they worked on every episode of the show.However, the late Chris Ledesma can claim that incredible achievement. Ledesma was the music editor for The Simpsons from seasons 1 to 33. Since the Golden Age of The Simpsons, Ledesma's work was instrumental in shaping the sound of the series, as the music editor crafted the unique musical accompaniment that defined the tone of The Simpsons. Unfortunately, Ledesma's worsening health led the music editor to leave his duties to Jake Schaefer in season 34. However, Ledesma was still credited throughout season 34 (including a darkly humorous Treehouse of Horror name tag).Related: 1 Simpsons Rule Break Explains Why Season 34 Has No Christmas Episode

Chris Ledesma's Life And Career Explained

Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire

As well as editing the music of The Simpsons, Ledesma also maintained the blog Simpsons Music 500. He was nominated for a Golden Reel award for his work on The Simpsons season 10, episode 11, "Wild Barts Can't Be Broken," an underrated outing that saw the kids of Springfield take revenge on their elders by exposing their shameful secrets. Ledesma worked on The Simpsons since its oldest, earliest episodes and was remembered by producer Matt Selman as "a sweet, goofy guy with a giant heart." Former showrunner Al Jean called Ledesma a "wonderful, hard-working, very talented man who will be missed by all he knew."

However, Ledesma's career was not limited to his inimitable contributions to The Simpsons. The music editor also worked on dozens of TV movies and shows in the same capacity and provided music editing for the theatrical film Dudley Do-Right, Blast from the Past, Dracula: Dead and Loving It, and Robin Hood: Men In Tights. In The Simpsons season 34, episode 6, "Treehouse of Horror XXXIII," the industry veteran was credited as "Chris' One Last Time' Ledesma," a nod to his then-recent health troubles. He passed away in December 2022.

Why The Simpsons Dedicated Season 34 Episode 12 To Chris Ledesma

The Simpsons Maggie speaking

While The Simpsons season 34 changed the show's opening credits numerous times, the "In Loving Memory" tribute to Ledesma was the first post-credits dedication seen in the season so far. The tribute saw an animated version of Ledesma leading the Simpson children in a couch-bound mini-symphony, conducting as Bart played the triangle, Maggie played the tambourine, and Lisa played her trademark saxophone. The brief dedication was a fitting tribute to an under-recognized music editor whose work helped to shape The Simpsons throughout its long run and whose contributions to the series will be missed after his untimely passing.

New episodes of The Simpsons air on Fox on Sundays.

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