Bob Dorough, ‘Schoolhouse Rock!’ Songwriter, Dies At 94

Bob Dorough, the musician behind ABC’s animated Schoolhouse Rock! program, died at 94. He was at his home in Mt. Bethel, Pennsylvania when he passed, and his granddaughter, Corin Wolf, told CNN he was diagnosed with cancer last year.

BOB DOROUGH, SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK! MUSICIAN, DEAD AT 94

Schoolhouse Rock! taught thousands of children and adults alike, about topics like math, grammar, the United States government and more through its memorable songs, including “Three’s a Magic Number,” “I’m Just a Bill,” “My Hero, Zero” and “Conjunction Junction.” The show’s original run on television lasted from 1973 to 1985, though it was later revived from 1993 to 1999. The iconic animated program was again revived in 2009.

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In 2013, Dorough discussed the show’s appeal with CNN, saying he was “not surprised at all” that his work endures. “I learned, when performing at elementary schools, that they were ‘getting through,’ so to speak, and the children would readily recognize my voice on such vocals as ‘Three is a Magic Number,’ and others that I sang,” Dorough said to CNN. What genuinely surprised the songwriter, however, was “the impact of network television, which kicked in years later.” This spread of network television helped his music reach “literally thousands, in a rather broad age spectrum” over thirteen years later.

Along with his work on Schoolhouse Rock!, Dorough was an acclaimed musician. Graduating from Columbia University in New York City, Dorough went on to lead countless performances and record albums under the famous Blue Note Records label.