Josie Carey

In 2000, Carey was interviewed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for its archives in North Hollywood. She continued to perform, act, and direct in Pittsburgh community theater until her death, which resulted from complications from a fall, at the age of 73.

After her show was cancelled, Carey went on to host other children's programming, including Josie's Storyland and Funsville, which were aired on KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh; Wheee! in South Carolina in the 1970s; and most recently, Josie's Attic during the 1990s on WQEX in Pittsburgh.

Actress, composer, songwriter and author, educated at the University of Pennsylvania. She wrote for and appeared on television shows in the USA and Canada, including "Funsville" and "Storyland". She won awards for her broadcast work from Duquesne University and the Pittsburgh Junior Chamber of Commerce, and was named 'Woman of the Year' by the Pittsburgh "Post Gazette" in 1965.

Carey was partnered with Fred Rogers who would act as puppeteer of various puppets who would dance along to 68 songs which he wrote and for which Carey wrote the lyrics. Carey joined ASCAP in 1955 and she and Rogers produced such songs as "Goodnight God," "It's Morning," and "Why Hi, Don't I Know You?" — the theme song for her program. Carey once remarked on their collaboration, "He would make me very angry because I'd labor over my lyrics and he would sit at the piano and what took me four hours, he would do in four minutes." Carey wrote the lyrics to "Tomorrow," which Rogers sang at the end of each Mister Rogers' Neighborhood episode until 1972. The puppet characters included Daniel S. Tiger, the skunk Grandpére, King Friday XIII of Calendarland, his wife Lady Elaine, the owl X.Scape and Henrietta the cat.

Carey was born in Pittsburgh and raised in Butler, Pennsylvania as Josephine Vicari and would later change her name at the suggestion of her television station's general manager. Carey was the host of Pittsburgh's children show, The Children's Corner on WQED from 1953 to 1961. Carey was one of the station's original employees, beginning work there in October 1953 — six months before WQED actually started broadcasting. She went door-to-door, raising money for the station selling $2 educational program guides.

Josephine Vicari Massucci Franz (August 20, 1930 – May 28, 2004), known by the stage name Josie Carey, was a lyricist and a host of several children's television shows.