Musician. He was a talented jazz pianist best known for his composition of "Linus and Lucy," the Peanuts cartoon theme song. He made his first recordings as a member of the Cal Tjader Trio in 1953 and formed his own trio in 1955. In the early 1960s, he pursued his own projects by writing compositions full time. In 1963, he wrote and released the single "Cast Your Fate To The Wind" which won the Grammy for Best Original Jazz Composition. Shortly after his Grammy Award, cartoonist Charles Schulz hired Guaraldi to score the first Peanuts television special, a documentary called "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" in 1965. He then became an irreplaceable fixture to all subsequent Peanuts shows with compositions for "A Charlie Brown Christmas," "Linus and Lucy," "Red Baron," "Oh, Good Grief" and many others. He died of a heart attack in Menlo Park, California, at age 47.
Musician. He was a talented jazz pianist best known for his composition of "Linus and Lucy," the Peanuts cartoon theme song. He made his first recordings as a member of the Cal Tjader Trio in 1953 and formed his own trio in 1955. In the early 1960s, he pursued his own projects by writing compositions full time. In 1963, he wrote and released the single "Cast Your Fate To The Wind" which won the Grammy for Best Original Jazz Composition. Shortly after his Grammy Award, cartoonist Charles Schulz hired Guaraldi to score the first Peanuts television special, a documentary called "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" in 1965. He then became an irreplaceable fixture to all subsequent Peanuts shows with compositions for "A Charlie Brown Christmas," "Linus and Lucy," "Red Baron," "Oh, Good Grief" and many others. He died of a heart attack in Menlo Park, California, at age 47.
Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith
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