Lorenzo Music (b. Gerald David Music; May 2, 1937 - August 4, 2001) was an American actor, voice actor, writer, producer and musician, best known as the voice of Garfield from 1982 to 2001. On hiring Music, Jim Davis stated, "I looked into the room full of actors and there was Lorenzo, quietly licking himself." Music also co-wrote Garfield on the Town with Davis.
A common trait associated with Music is that he was almost never seen on camera. This was often due to the fact that publicity photographs often showed Music in a recording studio with the back of his head shown, as well as his off-camera role on Rhoda. Music had played upon that image, although he did reveal his image in autographed pictures of him with Garfield. One of the last jobs he had done before his death was as a pitchman for Ruggles Ice Cream, and was shown in TV commercials where his face was clearly visible. He and his wife Henrietta appeared on the game show Tattletales for one week in 1975, as well as on the short-lived series The Lorenzo and Henrietta Music Series.
Music's deep, slow voice was distinctive and became associated with Garfield. He was also the voice of the Doorman on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Other voice acting credits include Sergeant Dunder on Tale Spin and Tummi on Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears. For a long time, Music would do volunteer work once a week for a suicide help hotline. He had recalled a few callers would turn from desperation to surprise or humor upon hearing him talk with callers making comments, such as, "I lost my job... my wife just ran off with another man... hey, you sound just like Garfield from TV!". His last non-Garfield roles were in episodes of The Drew Carey Show and Adventures in Odyssey. Music had also participated in the first generation of "Crash Test Dummies" public service announcements; he voiced Larry, opposite Jack Burns as Vince.
On August 4, 2001, Music died of lung and bone cancer. Jim Davis and the Garfield producers commented on how Music was an important part of Garfield history and his death was a huge loss for the Garfield universe. In accordance with Lorenzo Music's last wishes, his body was cremated and his ashes were scattered over the Pacific Ocean. He is survived by Henrietta (born Myrna Johnson, married October 24, 1960), and their four children: Rozalyn, Leilani, Fernando, and Sam. His daughter Rozalyn is a makeup artist, and has worked on films such as Adaptation and The Virgin Suicides.
Music voiced Garfield in nearly all depictions from 1982 to 2001. One exception was in one of the Alpo commercials, where the role was instead handled by Tom Smothers.
Voiceover
TV Specials
- Garfield (all)
- Sam Spayed (Garfield's Babes and Bullets)
- Lance Sterling (Garfield's Feline Fantasies)
Garfield and Friends
- Garfield
- Billy Buddy Bear (1st time)
- Zizzabottawaddawaddaboinkboinkfreebians (Rip Van Kitty)
- Arbuckle Vespucci's Cat (It Must Be True!)
- Gnome (Crime and Nourishment)
- Buchanan (Astrocat)
- The Lasagna Kid
- Charlie (Mistakes Will Happen)
- Cicero (The Great Inventor)
- McKinley
- The Pied Piper (The Pie-Eyed Piper)
- Enchanted Cat
- Roosevelt
Garfield's Mad About Cats
- Garfield
Writer
Trivia
- Music provided the voice of Peter Venkman in The Real Ghostbusters for the first season. Bill Murray, who portrayed Peter Venkman in the Ghostbusters films, voiced Garfield in both of the live-action films.