‘Sesame Street’ composer Stephen J. Lawrence passes away at 82

By IANS

Stephen J. Lawrence, a musical expertise whose credit included 1972’s ‘Free to Be… You and Me’ and a prolific run on ‘Sesame Street’, handed away at Clara Maas Medical Center in New Jersey, aged 82.

His loss of life was confirmed to Variety by his spouse Cantor Cathy Lawrence, stories selection.com.

Born on September 5, 1939, Lawrence achieved a physique of labor as a musician that spanned over 5 a long time.

He is finest recognized for his work as musical director and co-producer with Bruce Hart on the gold album ‘Free to Be… You and Me’.

Lawrence composed the album’s title track, in addition to the tracks ‘When We Grow Up’ and ‘Sisters and Brothers’.

Lawrence additionally served as composer, music director, arranger and conductor on the kids’s tv collection ‘Sesame Street’ for over 30 years, composing over 300 songs and scores for the programme, together with ‘Fuzzy and Blue (and Orange)’, which he co-wrote with David Axelrod.

He obtained three Daytime Emmy awards for excellent achievement in music course and composition throughout his tenure on the present.

Other credit from Lawrence embody the rating for 1979’s ‘Sooner or Later’ and its single ‘You Take My Breath Away’.

He additionally composed scores for ‘Bang the Drum Slowly’, ‘One Summer Love’, ‘Alice, Sweet Alice’, 1987’s ‘Red Riding Hood’ and the animated musical ‘The Tale of Peter Rabbit’.

Lawrence additionally served as music director at Temple Sinai in Stamford, Connecticut from 2003 to 2022.

Lawrence is survived by his spouse Cantor Cathy Lawrence; brother Robert; daughter Hannah Jones Anderson; son-in-law Seth Anderson; grandson Arthur; and stepsons Sam and Nick Kline.

A personal yard memorial service will likely be held on Saturday.