“Sesame Street” legend Bob McGrath has died. He was 90.
The entertainer died peacefully, surrounded by his family, on Sunday.
On his Facebook page, his family confirmed: “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.”
He was one of the original human actors in the long-running family puppet show and is best known for playing Bob Johnson.
The programme's official Facebook page shared a touching tribute by the Sesame Workshop, hailing Bob a “revered performer worldwide”.
The post began: “Sesame Workshop mourns the passing of Bob McGrath, a beloved member of the ‘Sesame Street’ family for over 50 years.
“A founding cast member, 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.
“A revered performer worldwide, Bob’s rich tenor filled airwaves and concert halls from Las Vegas to Saskatchewan to Tokyo many times over.”
They 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 played his alter ego for five decades, starting with the pilot episode in 1969, with his last appearance in 2017.
The Illinois native kicked off his entertainment career singing in Mitch Miller's NBC show “Sing Along With Mitch” from 1960 to 1964.
He was also a successful folk artist in Japan, of all places.
McGrath is survived by his wife Ann, three daughters and two sons, and eight grandchildren.