Beloved American actor Bob McGrath has passed away at the age of 90, after an illustrious career as one of Sesame Street’s most prominent figures.
He played friendly neighbour Bob Johnson on the iconic children’s series, entertaining generations of children over more than five decades – debuting in 1969’s pilot episode and not stepping back until 2016.
From then, he made a handful of guest appearances at public events and in special productions, such as the 50th Anniversary episode in 2019 and last year’s feature-length documentary Street Gang, which chronicled how the show first made it to screens.
On his Facebook page, McGrath’s relatives shared this tribute: “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.”
Sesame Workshop, the production company behind the Jim Henson show, also shared a statement after news broke of McGrath’s passing, paying heartfelt respect to his lifetime of work on the series.
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“Bob embodied the melodies of Sesame Street like no one else, and his performances brought joy and wonder to generations of children around the world, whether teaching them the ABCs, the people in their neighbourhood, or the simple joy of feeling music in their hearts,” it read.
“A revered performer worldwide, Bob’s rich tenor filled airwaves and concert halls from Las Vegas to Saskatchewan to Tokyo many times over.”
Sesame Workshop added: “We will be forever grateful for his many years of passionate creative contributions to Sesame Street and honoured that he shared so much of his life with us.”
McGrath was born in Ottawa, Illinois in 1932 and began his career making family-friendly music with prolific producer Mitch Miller, eventually leading to his career-defining role in children’s television.
McGrath reflected on his career in an interview with the Television Academy in 2004.
He said: “Not only is it a great job working with great people, but knowing the impact that Sesame Street has had on millions of kids all over the world has to be the most gratifying thing that anyone could possibly hope for.
“Having the opportunity of doing this has been phenomenal.”