The big band across the rainbow bridge just got a new pianist.
On March 16 the owner of the Keyboard Cat Bento, Charles Schmidt, announced the beloved Internet celebrity died on March 8 with a YouTube tribute to the feline that first became famous on the platform.
While not the original Keyboard Cat, according to Mashable, Bento was the OG kitty’s chosen successor.
Both Bento and the original Keyboard Cat Fatso belong to artist Schmidt. Fatso, who died in 1987, Mashable reports, started the Keyboard Cat craze posthumously, after VHS footage taken by Schmidt of the feline pretending to play the piano ended up on Youtube in 2007.
The clip became a viral hit, with over 50 million views on YouTube, and inspired dozens of copycat videos, including one from Sex and the City alum Ron Livingston.
According to Consequence of Sound, Schmidt later adopted Bento, another orange tabby, and it was he who inherited the Keyboard Cat title and fame, even landing a commercial with Wonderful Pistachios in 2010.
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Up until his March 8 death, Bento had been performing as Keyboard Cat, sharing videos of his new music and adorable hijinks on the Keyboard Cat YouTube page.
R.I.P. Bento, your sweet music and even sweeter face will be missed.
