The Simpsons Season 34 Episode 12 Dedication Explained

Season 34, episode 12 of The Simpsons featured a dedication to a deceased cast member, so who is Chris Ledesma and how did he help shape the show's sound?

After the show's annual hiatus, The Simpsons returns for season 34, episode 12, to pay tribute to Chris Ledesma. The Simpsons has been on the air for nearly thirty-five years. With 34 seasons and more than 700 episodes, The Simpsons is one of the longest-running shows in television history. As a result, few professionals can say they've been in every episode of the show.

However, the late Chris Ledesma can claim incredible accomplishments. Ledesma was the music editor for seasons 1 through 33 of The Simpsons. Ledesma's work has been instrumental in shaping the series' sound since the golden age of The Simpsons, as music editors crafted the unique musical accompaniment that defined the tone of The Simpsons. Unfortunately, Ledesma's health deteriorated Leading to the music editor leaving his duties to Jake Schaefer in Season 34. However, Ledesma continued to receive praise throughout season 34 (including the darkly humorous Treehouse of Horror name tag).

Chris Ledesma's Life And Career Explained

In addition to editing music for The Simpsons, Ledesma maintains the blog The Simpsons Music 500. He was nominated for a Golden Reel Award for his work on The Simpsons Season 10, Episode 11, "Wild Butts Can't Be Broken." underrated outing See the children of Springfield take revenge on their elders by revealing their shameful secrets. Ledesma, who has been on The Simpsons since the oldest and earliest episodes, was described by producer Matt Selman as "a sweet, goofy, big-hearted guy." Former show host Al Jean called Ledesma a "terrific, hardworking, incredibly talented man who will be missed by all that he has known."

Chris Ledesma was a sweet, goofy guy with a giant heart — his amazing musical life is played out over 33 years of @TheSimpsons https://t.co/27NwwuSh1s— Matt Selman (@mattselman) January 3, 2023

However, Ledesma's career The career doesn't end with his unparalleled contributions to The Simpsons. The music editor has also worked in dozens of TV movies and shows in the same capacity, and has contributed to theatrical films "Dudley Got It Right," "Blast from the Past," "Vampire: Dead Love" and "Robin Hood." :Tights provides music editing. In "The Simpsons" season 34, episode 6, "Treehouse of Horrors XXXIII," the industry veteran was referred to as "Chris's last" Ledesma, a nod to his then-recent health issues . He passed away in December 2022.

Why The Simpsons Dedicated Season 34 Episode 12 To Chris Ledesma

While The Simpsons' opening credits changed several times in season 34, "In Loving Memory", a tribute to Ledesma, was the first end credits to appear so far this season. Seeing an animated version of Ledesma in the tribute, he leads the Simpsons kids in a mini symphony on the couch, and his conductor is Bart plays the grand piano, Maggie plays the tambourines and Lisa plays her signature saxophone. The short tribute is a fitting tribute to an unrecognized music editor whose work helped shape The Simpsons for so long and whose contributions to the series will be missed after his untimely death.

New episodes of The Simpsons air every Sunday on Fox.