The three prominent holiday specials, “Rudolph,” voiced by Burl Ives, “Frosty” starring Jackie Vernon and Jimmy Durante and “Santa Claus,” voiced by Fred Astaire and Mickey Rooney, all debuted during the 1960s and 1970s. NBCUniversal via Getty ImagesBass was known for his longstanding creative partnership with director Arthur Rankin Jr., who died in 2014 at 89. Bass and Rankin’s first production was a syndicated television series titled “The New Adventures of Pinocchio,” which premiered in 1960. In addition to numerous holiday specials, they served as producers of series including “Thundercats” and “The Jackson 5ive” animated series. The January death of Bass’ daughter, Jean Nicole Bass, preceded his own.

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