Joe Negri, Mister Rogers' handyman and jazz musician, dies at 99

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NEWPORT, RI - AUGUST 05: Joe Negri performs during the 2011 Newport Jazz Festival at the International Tennis Hall of Fame on August 5, 2011 in Newport, Rhode Island. (Photo by Douglas Mason/Getty Images)

Joe Negri, the jazz musician known for his work as the handyman alongside Fred Rogers in "Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood," has died at the age of 99, according to TribLIVE. 

Negri’s oldest daughter Lisa Negri told the outlet her father died Saturday from natural causes. 

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Why you should care:

The Pittsburg native was a well-known jazz guitarist and educator who was recognized by millions as Handyman Negri for decades on "Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood," throughout the show’s three-decade run. 

Handyman Negri held double duty on the show, as the fix-it man in the land of Make-Believe and as the show’s regular music-man, performing music at Negri’s Music Shop.  

Negri was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania and began playing the guitar at the age of 8 and was touring with swing bands by the age of 16. Except for a brief time in New York City, he spent his life in Pittsburgh, according to TribLIVE. 

He began his teaching career in the early 1970s at the University of Pittsburgh and was the founder of the jazz guitar program at Duquesne University, instructing scores of students in the art of jazz guitar. He retired from Pitt in 2019 and left Duquesne three years later. 

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Legacy & Impact

Negri received multiple awards throughout his career, including a Lifetime Achievement in the Arts award in 2019 from the state of Pennsylvania, part of the Governor’s Awards for the Arts. 

What they're saying:

Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood’s website says that Fred Rogers himself approached Negri and asked him if he could be the handyman on his show. Even with no experience in the repair business, Rogers said it would be fine. 

"The handyman doesn’t just fix things – he also fixes problems. I hope children see me as someone they can trust," Negri said about his character on the show. 

The website details, in the show he was often called upon to make repairs, build things and sing and play his guitar. 

"Music was so important to Fred Rogers and such an important part of the series, that he wanted to be sure to include a musician and a Music Shop in his neighborhood," the website reads. "This allowed for the introduction of a wide variety of musical guests who performed in the rehearsal room, often accompanied by Joe Negri on guitar."