Joe Negri, “Mister Rogers’ ”Handyman and Jazz Musician, Dies at 99

Becca LongmireMon, June 1, 2026 at 9:51 AM UTC

0

Joe Negri on ‘Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood’
Credit: Fred Rogers Productions -

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood star, Joe Negri, has died at age 99

The musician and educator appeared as Handyman Negri on the show for over 30 years

He died on Saturday, May 30, just days before his 100th birthday on June 10

Joe Negri, who starred as Handyman Negri on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, has died at age 99, days before he was set to turn 100.

Pittsburgh native Negri, whom many children grew up watching on television, died on Saturday, May 30, according to local outlet TribLIVE.

Negri's oldest daughter, Lisa Negri, told the news organization that her father, who was also a well-known jazz guitarist, died of natural causes. The family had been preparing to celebrate his 100th birthday on June 10.

Fred Rogers Productions confirmed Negri's death to KDKA-TV on Sunday evening, per CBS Pittsburgh.

Fred Rogers Productions didn't immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for comment.

Joe Negri is pictured in 2011
Credit: Douglas Mason/Getty

Negri was a Pittsburgh native and had been a musician since he was a child, TribLIVE reported. He began playing guitar at age 8, and he was touring with swing bands across the country by age 16, per the outlet.

He spent his life in the state — minus a brief stint in New York City — working as an educator, TV performer and musician, the organization noted.

Negri starred in Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, alongside Fred Rogers' titular character, as the fix-it man in the Land of Make-Believe for the show's entire run, per TribLIVE. Negri would also perform at his very own Negri's Music Shop on the show.

The first episode of the show aired in 1968, before the final episode was shown in 2001, around 33 years later.

Negri previously told KDKA-TV that he wasn't a handyman in real life, per CBS Pittsburgh. "I said, 'Fred, I'm not handy at all. I can't even hammer a nail.' And he said, 'Don't worry about a thing, it's going to be all pretend,' " he insisted.

Advertisement

"I'm glad he gave me the music shop because it gave me a really good opportunity to utilize my music," Negri told the station of running Negri's Music Shop on the show. He ended up performing alongside musicians including Johnny Costa, Yo-Yo Ma and Wynton Marsalis, according to CBS Pittsburgh.

Negri recalled of nabbing the part, “In 1966 Fred called and asked if I wanted to be a handyman on his show.  I said, ‘Me? A handyman? I'm about as handy as a…' ” adding, “But Fred told me I would be fine,” per the Mister Rogers' Neighborhoodwebsite.

As well as being a TV performer and a musician, Negri was also an adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University for decades, teaching students how to play jazz guitar, TribLIVE reported.

He retired from the University of Pittsburgh in 2019, after nearly 50 years, but carried on working at Duquesne, where he founded the jazz guitar program, until 2022, according to the outlet.

— sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

David Newell — who played Mr. Rogers' delivery man, Mr. McFeely, on the beloved show — was among those paying tribute to the late musician, per CBS Pittsburgh.

"What I am feeling is a loss of a good friend that I've known over these many years," Newell said, per the outlet. "He was the kindest man. I think, comparing him to Fred Rogers, they were both so kind, and he had a good sense of humor."

"The Joe I knew was what you saw on television," Newell insisted, according to CBS Pittsburgh. He added of doing events with the late musician, "It was so much fun traveling with him.”

"This is helping me a lot, talking about Joe, because of the good memories I have with him. And that's one thing that you'll always have of someone: the memories that they can't take away from you. That's how I think I'm dealing with Joe's death,” Newell continued, according to the outlet.

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”