LOS ANGELES — Alf Clausen, the Emmy-winning composer known for his iconic music on "The Simpsons," has died at the age of 84. His daughter, Kaarin Clausen, confirmed that he passed away Thursday at his home in Los Angeles after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. Clausen's contributions to the beloved animated series spanned 27 years, during which he composed nearly 600 scores.

Clausen was not only recognized for his work on "The Simpsons" but also for scoring other popular TV shows, including "Moonlighting" and "Alf"—a title he humorously noted had "no relation" to his own name. Throughout his career, he received 30 Emmy nominations, with 21 of those for his work on "The Simpsons," winning twice.

Al Jean, a prominent writer for "The Simpsons" during the 1990s, expressed his admiration for Clausen in a post on X, stating, "Clausen was an incredibly talented man who did so much for The Simpsons." While Danny Elfman is credited with the show's iconic theme song, Clausen joined the series in 1990 and remained its primary composer until 2017. He conducted a 35-piece orchestra in the studio, bringing his musical vision to life.

Clausen believed that the best way to enhance the show's humor was to keep the music straightforward. He once shared his philosophy with Variety, saying, "This is a dream job for a composer. Matt Groening said to me very early on, ‘We’re not a cartoon. We’re a drama where the characters are drawn. I want you to score it like a drama.’ I score the emotions of the characters as opposed to specific action hits on the screen."

Groening, the creator of "The Simpsons," referred to Clausen as "one of the unacknowledged treasures of the show" in a 1996 interview. Born in Minneapolis and raised in Jamestown, North Dakota, Clausen graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 1966. He moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music, eventually becoming a musical director for various TV variety shows in the 1970s, including "Donny & Marie."

In addition to his work on "The Simpsons," Clausen served as an orchestrator for composer Lee Holdridge on films like "Splash" and "The Beastmaster." He took over the composing role for "Moonlighting" after Holdridge passed it on to him, earning six Emmy nominations for that series.

Clausen's accolades include two Emmy wins for "The Simpsons" in 1997 and 1998, as well as five Annie Awards, which celebrate excellence in animation. His departure from "The Simpsons" in 2017 was met with disappointment from fans and colleagues alike, leading him to file a lawsuit over his dismissal.

He is survived by his wife, Sally, three children—Kaarin, Scott, and Kyle—two stepchildren, Josh and Emily, and 11 grandchildren.