Joe Negri Dies Days Before 100th Birthday, Ending 30-Year Run on Mister Rogers
Updated
Updated · WTAE Pittsburgh · May 31
Joe Negri Dies Days Before 100th Birthday, Ending 30-Year Run on Mister Rogers
9 articles · Updated · WTAE Pittsburgh · May 31
Joe Negri, the jazz guitarist who played Handyman Negri on "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," died Saturday of natural causes, his daughter Lisa said.
June 10 would have marked his 100th birthday, and his family and Pittsburgh's music community had been preparing a celebration of his life and legacy.
Pittsburgh-born Negri appeared throughout the show's entire three-decade run as the fix-it man in the Land of Make-Believe and owner of Negri's Music Shop, where he performed and showcased music.
His death closes the career of a musician remembered both as one of the country's leading jazz guitarists and as a familiar figure to generations of children's television viewers.
How did a celebrated jazz virtuoso become a beloved handyman on children's television?
Did his 'Mister Rogers' fame overshadow his significant legacy as a pioneering jazz artist?