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Original Sesame Street Star Bob McGrath Has Died At 90

Bob McGrath Robin Marchant/Getty Images
By Jeremy Mathai

One of the earliest and most integral members of the original "Sesame Street" cast has sadly passed away. Bob McGrath, a childhood staple for multiple generations of children, was reported to have died at the age of 90 surrounded by his family in his New Jersey home on Sunday, December 4, 2022. On his Facebook page (via The Hollywood Reporter), McGrath's family broke the news with the following message:

"Hello Facebook friends, the McGrath family has some sad news to share. Our father Bob McGrath, passed away today. He died peacefully at home, surrounded by his family."

Playing the familiar character (and one of a very few non-Muppets) of Bob Johnson, McGrath could trace back his proud lineage in "Sesame Street" all the way back to the 1969 premiere episode. A regular presence on countless television screens over the decades, the legend portrayed a music teacher on the program who struck up a convincing rapport with the lifelike Muppets and sang several of the show's most famous musical numbers. Typically accompanied by the Caroll Spinney-voiced Oscar the Grouch, McGrath could boast an even more touching and bittersweet claim to fame: helping Big Bird come to terms with the concept of death after the real-life passing of actor (and close colleague) Will Lee, who played the character of Mr. Hooper on the show. With tangible emotion, the actor comforted the Muppet with a simple but poignant monologue:

"You're right, Big Bird. It's ... It'll never be the same around here without him. But you know something? We can all be very happy that we had the chance to be with him, and to know him, and to love him a lot when he was here."

Bob McGrath leaves behind a heartwarming legacy

Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street Sesame Workshop/HBO

A constant presence on "Sesame Street" for well over 40 years, Bob McGrath joined the children's program with no prior acting experience whatsoever, persuaded almost singlehandedly by the brilliance and creativity of puppeteers Jim Henson and Frank Oz. In addition to appearing in several "Sesame Street" specials over the years, McGrath was also an accomplished children's book author and even released various children's singalong musical albums in addition to performing as a musician in professional symphony orchestras. On top of it all, his charity work in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan for upwards of three decades earned him the Saskatchewan Distinguished Service Award in 2013.

Tributes poured in through social media soon after the news broke, with actor Holly Robinson Peete — whose father Matt Robinson was also an original "Sesame Street" cast member and co-star alongside McGrath — most prominent among them, saying on Twitter, "My heart is broken that we've lost
Bob McGrath...Rest In Peace, Bob! Joining Will Lee ( Mr Hooper) & Daddy ( Gordon) in Sesame Street Heaven where the air is sweet..."

Bob McGrath is survived by his wife Ann, three daughters, two sons, eight grandchildren, and a whole swath of adults who grew up watching the gentle performer right alongside his famous Muppet friends.

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