Joe Negri, the musician best known for his role as the guitar-playing handyman on “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” died on May 30 in Pittsburgh. He was 99 years old.
Mr. Negri’s death was announced by his family.
Negri and Fred Rogers first appeared together on a local Pittsburgh children’s television show in the early 1960s. From 1968 to 2001, Negri played “Negri the Handyman” on the popular PBS show “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Negri often appeared on screen, singing and playing the guitar, and eventually became the owner of a neighborhood music store. Negri appeared in a total of 331 episodes over the course of the long-running series. Negri also co-starred with guest stars such as Yo-Yo Ma, Tony Bennett, and Wynton Marsalis.
Born in Pittsburgh on June 10, 1926, Negri began playing guitar at the age of three and performed on the radio as a child. He also worked as a professional musician as a teenager, touring the United States with a band in the 1940s before serving in the U.S. Army during World War II.
After the war, Negri returned to Pittsburgh, studied composition at Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University), and built a life and professional reputation in the city’s jazz community, becoming a premier guitarist. Over the years, Negri was a frequent guest with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and its pops concerts.
Rogers later invited Negri to join a new WQED show in development that would become “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Negri began playing music by the show’s 13th episode, and his first song was “Sometimes People Are Good”, written by Rodgers. In addition to “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” Negri played on several albums, including Michael Feinstein’s 2010 standards album “Fly Me to the Moon.”
As an educator, Negri taught jazz guitar for nearly 50 years at the University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
“At home, Joe was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He took pride not only in his playing, but also in the people he loved and the communities he served. His wife, Joan, to whom he was married for 72 years, was the quiet presence behind his business. He will be remembered not only for his artistry, but also for his ever-present smile, perseverance, and belief that music can make the world a kinder place,” the family said.
He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Joanne Negri; daughters, Lisa Negri (Robert Sickels), Laurie Benz (Dr. William Benz), and Gia Leven (Ronald Leven); and granddaughters, Alexandra Sikels, Nina Carlino, and Natalie Leven.
Funeral services will be held privately and donations in his memory may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
