Vince Guaraldi - The Man Behind the Music of Peanuts

A look at the musical career of jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi and how he created the unforgettable music of the Peanuts and Charlie Brown television specials.

Music:

"Linus and Lucy"
"Happiness is ..."
"Cast Your Fate to the Wind"
"Oh Good Grief"
"Blue Charlie Brown"
"Christmastime is Here"
"O Tannenbaum"
"Skating"
"Christmas is Coming"
"Thanksgiving Theme"
"Great Pumpkin Waltz"
"Charlie Brown Theme"
"Little Birdie"

By Vince Guaraldi

"Vampires" by The Midnight

[yesterdaze]

Peanuts & Vince Guaraldi make me cry. I can’t explain it.

[glnnchrstphr]

It just isn't Christmas without Charlie Brown and Vince.

[johnlopez]

I went to school in the 8th grade with his Son. Will never forget the day he told me his Dad played the music for the Charlie Brown Cartoons.

[kenh.]

Years ago I worked with a couple of people who actually hated this man's music. As you can guess they were completely soulless and joyless people.

[RC-Flight]

The last surviving member of the original group, the drummer Jerry Granelli has passed away today July 22 at the age of 80
RIP Jerry! Peanuts music was the soundtrack of my childhood.

[literallyshaking]

The soundtrack to a Charlie Brown Christmas is the most perfect holiday album of all time.

“Christmastime is Here” will never fail to bring me to tears whenever I hear it, it’s so hauntingly melancholy.

[ohnoohyeah]

Every year, we turn off all the lights except our Christmas tree and play O'tannenbaum. The tree poses and looks back at us. We both smile. 😊

[jacobsims]

It is bizarre the way those tunes convey anticipation and melancholy at the same time.

[rayvanwayenburg]

How good is it that you would be remembered so fondly by generations of kids and adults 😊

[michellestark]

I have loved the music of the Vince Guaraldi Trio for the majority of my life. I can put on the soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas any time I’m feeling down and it never fails to restore my spirit. They had a wonderful gift.

[gregdolecki]

These specials would have not been the same without this music.

[davidcudlip]

Charlie Brown Christmas Special. Possibly the best sound track ever recorded. As relevant today as when I first watched it as an eight year old.

[TheABElia]

It’s sad that Vince didn’t consider himself a “great pianist”. He was the person most responsible for my love of Jazz music. It all stems from these Peanuts specials.

[Rosannasfriend]

He made jazz cool to me. When I was a kid I didn’t get it. As an adult, I like jazz with or without peanuts. But thank you peanuts, and thank you Vince.

[robertaanderson]

I still listen and played for my kids and now grands every Thanksgiving, Halloween and Christmas.

[Peter-pvxx]

My mom had read about this brand new Christmas cartoon and was excited to see it with me, I was six I think, it was the most incredible thing I ever saw, we only had a black and white tv but it was still great, I don't remember if my dad was home, working in the post office he would get home late some nights, I miss those Christmases my parents and grandparents, it's just me and my two sisters now, they're older than me and live 2000 miles away, me in NJ and them in Colorado. Merry Christmas to all in 2021!

[baxatakbaxatak]

Vince Guaraldi is, was, and always will be one of the most criminally underrated jazz pianists.

[jrfrondelli]

Just listening to this music tears at my childhood heartstrings, and makes this 61 year-old yearn to be a kid again, just for a little while. :/

[anitahamlin]

Sadly, he didn't get the recognition of a rockstar but will live forever in this work!

[blachubear]

When Guaraldi composed the music for Charlie Brown & The Peanuts Gang, he never thought his music would raised 5 generations and counting.