Read from CBR:
Sesame Street icon Bob McGrath -- one of the original human stars of PBS' long-running educational television show -- has died. He was 90 years old.
McGrath's family confirmed his passing in a post to his Facebook page. "The McGrath family has some sad news to share," the post reads. "Our father Bob McGrath, passed away today. He died peacefully at home, surrounded by his family."
McGrath was born in Ottawa, Illinois, on June 13, 1932. McGrath studied music at the University of Michigan, graduating in 1954. He then spent two years in the United States Army, booking and performing for the Seventh Army Symphony Orchestra. He went on to receive a Master of Music degree in Voice from the Manhattan School of Music in 1959. From 1960 to 1964, McGrath appeared on Mitch Miller's singalong TV show Sing Along with Mitch. It was during mid '60s that he became a popular recording artist in Japan.
McGrath joined the cast of Sesame Street as the character Bob Johnson in 1969, first appearing in the show's pilot that year. Bob was one of the longest-lasting human characters on the beloved educational program, with McGrath appearing as a regular cast member on Sesame Street for 47 years, through 2016. In addition to the show itself, McGrath portrayed Bob Johnson in the TV specials Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (1978) and Elmo Saves Christmas (1996), as well as in the feature films Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird (1985) and The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland (1999).
McGrath made his final appearance as Bob Johnson in Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration, which aired on HBO and PBS in 2019. More recently, McGrath appeared as himself in the HBO documentary Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street, which bowed in 2021.
Sesame Street icon Bob McGrath -- one of the original human stars of PBS' long-running educational television show -- has died. He was 90 years old.
McGrath's family confirmed his passing in a post to his Facebook page. "The McGrath family has some sad news to share," the post reads. "Our father Bob McGrath, passed away today. He died peacefully at home, surrounded by his family."
McGrath was born in Ottawa, Illinois, on June 13, 1932. McGrath studied music at the University of Michigan, graduating in 1954. He then spent two years in the United States Army, booking and performing for the Seventh Army Symphony Orchestra. He went on to receive a Master of Music degree in Voice from the Manhattan School of Music in 1959. From 1960 to 1964, McGrath appeared on Mitch Miller's singalong TV show Sing Along with Mitch. It was during mid '60s that he became a popular recording artist in Japan.
McGrath joined the cast of Sesame Street as the character Bob Johnson in 1969, first appearing in the show's pilot that year. Bob was one of the longest-lasting human characters on the beloved educational program, with McGrath appearing as a regular cast member on Sesame Street for 47 years, through 2016. In addition to the show itself, McGrath portrayed Bob Johnson in the TV specials Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (1978) and Elmo Saves Christmas (1996), as well as in the feature films Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird (1985) and The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland (1999).
McGrath made his final appearance as Bob Johnson in Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration, which aired on HBO and PBS in 2019. More recently, McGrath appeared as himself in the HBO documentary Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street, which bowed in 2021.
