Many children under the age of twelve are not allowed to watch animated shows like “Family Guy,” “American Dad!” and “The Cleveland Show.” These were the types of shows that young boys and girls would have to carefully watch by themselves so that their parents wouldn’t catch them. The creator of all three television programs is a man named Seth Woodbury MacFarlane. MacFarlane is a man of many talents.
Originally, MacFarlane started his career in animation by drawing and writing for classic animated television shows such as “Dexter’s Laboratory” and “Johnny Bravo.” Afterward, MacFarlane decided it was his time to create his own animated series. His first and most famous work, “Family Guy,” aired in 1999 on Fox Network. The show immediately generated controversy in regards to its adult style of humor. In 2002, “Family Guy” was canceled after the finale of its third season due to low ratings.
Not wanting to be unemployed, MacFarlane created another animated show to replace “Family Guy.” That show was “American Dad!” However, in 2005, “Family Guy” accomplished what few shows had ever done and returned back to the silver screen after cancellation after three full years. In 2009, MacFarlane decided to create a spin-off series named “The Cleveland Show,” which focuses entirely on the life of Cleveland Brown; a side character that was originally introduced in “Family Guy” as one of Peter Griffin's neighbors and drinking buddies.
Like “Family Guy,” “The Cleveland Show” was canceled in 2013 due to a drop in ratings. Both “Family Guy” and “American Dad!” are currently still running on many streaming platforms such as Hulu, TBS, Fox, etc. MacFarlane stepped away from all three shows in 2011 to begin focusing on directing a motion picture about a boy who wishes his teddy bear would come to life. That idea would eventually become “Ted,” released in 2012.
“Ted” and it’s eventually sequel “Ted 2” (2015) would gross over 760 million dollars combined. Between these two movies, MacFarlane had made another comedy titled “A Million Ways to Die in the West” (2014), which is a film that stars MacFarlane himself as the main character and how he navigates life in the Old West without being brutally killed by some external force. That film was not as successful as the “Ted” movies and only grossed over 80 million dollars. In September of 2017, MacFarlane stepped away from the world of filmmaking and went back to creating television. This time, he was making a live-action television program named “The Orville” — which is basically “Star Trek” if “Star Trek” was a comedy show. “The Orville” is currently streaming on Hulu.
Like I already said before, Seth MacFarlane is a man of many great talents. He can write, direct, produce, draw, act, and surprisingly, sing. Yes, Seth MacFarlane can sing. And he sings very well. MacFarlane started singing when he was just a little boy when his parents placed him in a Catholic Church choir. From that point forward, MacFarlane would use his gift to produce his own original songs.
As of today, MacFarlane has made and released a total of seven studio albums. These include: “Music Is Better Than Words,” “Holiday For Swing!,” “No One Ever Tells You,” “In Full Swing,” “Blue Skies,” “Great Songs From Stage And Screen,” and “Once In A While.” He also has collaborated with Elizabeth Gillies to produce an album titled “Songs From Home.”
MacFarlane has received five Grammy Awards for his work. His singing voice is described as a baritone voice. MacFarlane’s beautiful, soothing voice is comparable to that of the legendary Frank Sinatra. In fact, MacFarlane actually trained with Sinatra’s vocal teachers for a period of ten years. MacFarlane had recently stated in an interview that people associated with Broadway theatre in Midtown Manhattan, New York City contacted him sometime in the past to be a part of the musical “Spamalot” but declined due to being busy working on “Family Guy.”
As for MacFarlane’s best album, it’s hard to choose. All of them offer something that is both emotional and enjoyable to listen to. MacFarlane also does a tremendous job collaborating with other established singers. He has worked with Norah Jones, Sara Bareilles, and, as already stated before, Elizabeth Gillies.
Seth MacFarlane’s music can be downloaded and listened to on a wide variety of audio streaming platforms. These include, but are not limited to: Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music and SoundCloud. While it is good to celebrate and appreciate the work that MacFarlane has given the public with the likes of “Family Guy” and “Ted,” it is also good to look farther into one’s career to see what else he or she has done. Seth MacFarlane deserves more recognition for his work in the music industry, and I hope whoever reads this article checks him out.
