Beloved 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood' Actor and Musician Dead at 99
Joe Negri, famous for his role as Handyman Negri on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood over four decades, died on Saturday, May 30, at 99 years old, according to Trib Live. The actor and musician was just days away from his 100th birthday, which would have been on June 10.
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Negri's oldest daughter, Lisa Negri, shared the news with the outlet, saying that her father died of natural causes as they were preparing for a centennial birthday celebration with friends and family. Fred Rogers Productions confirmed the news to KDKA-TV on May 31.
Negri, who owned Negri's Music Shop in Rogers' "real" neighborhood, also voiced several other characters in the Land of Make-Believe in the beloved children's TV show from 1968 to 2001, including Father Elephant, Joe Bull, Papa Bear, Storyteller, The Wind, and W.I. Norton Donovan. He appeared in 332 episodes.
Negri's career in TV was mostly limited to Mr. Rogers, save for a few gigs in the music department as a musician or arranger. That's because his first love was music and jazz guitar.
The Pittsburgh native began playing music at just 8 years old, and he became a nationally touring swing musician as a teenager. In Pennsylvania, Negri was a musician, educator, and TV performer. He also served as an adjunct professor of Jazz Guitar at Duquesne University and University of Pittsburgh
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Watch this clip of Negri on Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood:
Negri nearly skipped out on the role that made him famous, reflecting on how Fred Rogersoriginally convinced him to do the show in a previous interview.
"I got a call and he said, 'Hey Joe, how would you like to come on my new show and be the handyman?'" he recalled to WQED Pittsburgh in 2018. "I said, 'Oh Fred, you're kidding! I'm not a handyman at all! I don't even know how to nail a nail straight!' He said, 'Don't worry about a thing, it's just gonna be pretend. And it was pretend and it was wonderful and it lasted for 35 years!"
Later, Negri became the owner of the fictional Negri Music Shop in the show, which let his true passion shine. "I'm glad he gave me the music shop because it gave me a really good opportunity to utilize my music," he shared with KDKA-TV.
The music shop also gave him the opportunity to meet some music legends. He got to perform on the show with the likes of Wynton Marsalis, Johnny Costa, and even Yo-Yo Ma. In 2019, Negri was the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement in the Arts award from the state of Pennsylvania for his dedication to the community.
"It's been a great life," Negri told The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette of his legacy in 2018. "I've really enjoyed teaching and am very proud to be one of the originals to bring jazz guitar into schools."
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This story was originally published May 31, 2026 at 4:18 PM.