Bob McGrath, who played the sweater-wearing neighborhood music teacher and general advice-giver on “Sesame Street” for nearly half a century, died Sunday morning at his home in New Jersey. he was 90 years old.
McGrath’s daughter, Cathlin McGrath, confirmed his death by email on Sunday. She said McGrath died of complications after a stroke. She said the night before Mr. McGrath died, his family decorated his room for Christmas and sang and danced around him. “We knew he wanted his way of life.”
Mr. McGrath wasn’t particularly interested, but one night an old Phi Gamma Delta fraternity brother stopped him to talk about his new project, a children’s show on public television. But he had never heard of the puppeteer Jim Henson, nor had he seen the Muppets. After his first meeting and seeing some animation, he knew this show was going to be different.
“Sesame street‘ premiered in November 1969, with Mr. McGrath and other cast members lining up around an urban brownstone slouch in front of the building’s dark green door to find the ubiquitous collection of metal trash cans. Gathered side by side. His character, conveniently named Bob,Neighbors’ (butchers, bakers, lifeguards), discuss everyday concerns with young humans and Muppets, Day trip to Groochy Town with Oscar the Grouch.
Viewers were outraged when McGrath and two other longtime cast members, Emilio Delgado, who played Lewis, and Roscoe Oman, who played Gordon, were fired in 2016. Their contracts weren’t renewed when HBO took over the rights to “Sesame Street.”
But McGrath took the news lightly and thanked him for his 47 years of “working with amazing people” and his entire career since “Sesame Street,” which included family concerts with major symphonies. did.
“I’m really happy to be home with my wife and kids a little longer,” he said at the Florida Supercon, an annual comics and pop culture convention, in late 2016. 5 minutes left. “
Robert Emmett McGrath was born June 13, 1932 in Ottawa, Illinois, about 80 miles southwest of Chicago. He was the youngest of his five children of farmer Edmund Thomas McGrath and Flora Agnes (Harrigan) McGrath.
Robert’s mother, who sang and played the piano, recognized his talent by the time he was five years old. He soon entered and won a contest in Chicago, which led him to appear on the radio. He performed musical plays and studied privately, but as a matter of fact he intended to study engineering.
However, he was invited to a music camp outside Chicago the summer after high school. A teacher there encouraged him to change his plans, and he “took a turn.” 2004 video interview For the Television Academy Foundation.
He majored in vocal music at the University of Michigan, graduating in 1954. He spent the next two years in the army, mainly in Stuttgart, Germany, performing with the 7th Army Symphony Orchestra. After that, he went to New York, where he completed his master’s degree. Manhattan Conservatory of Music.
He got a job at St. David’s, a private boys’ school in Manhattan. Freelance singing assignments obtained through vocal contractors paid the bills until 1961. “Sing with Mitch” It came. He is one of his 25 male singers to appear weekly on NBC’s show, including “Home on the Range,” “Texas’ Yellow Rose,” “Long Way to Tipperary,” and “I’ll Take it home, Kathleen.”
As St. Patrick’s Day approached, the show’s host and producer Mitch Miller asked Mr. McGrath, “Do you know this song?”mother mccreeHe was impressed by Mr. McGrath’s playing and his light-lyric tenor.
After “Sing Along With Mitch” ended in 1964, the cast performed in Las Vegas and toured Japan for 30 stops. A teenage idol.
Schoolgirls chanted his name at concerts and organized fan clubs. At their request, he returned to Japan nine times over the next three years, where he recorded nine albums, singing in both English and Japanese.in his repertoire Japanese folk song He was accompanied by a shakuhachi, or bamboo flute.On his return home he sang to entertain the American TV audience. “danny boy” in Japanese.
When “Sesame Street” began, Mr. McGrath’s collection of albums led to very different albums such as “Sing with Bob” and “Songs and Games for Toddlers.”
He also learned American Sign Language, which he used regularly on camera with cast member Linda Bove, who was born deaf.
When asked about significant memories from his years on the series, McGrath often cited a 1983 episode dedicated to children, adults, and reactions to the Muppets’ deaths. Will Lee, who played Mr. Hooper on the show for 13 years. Another of her favorites is Holiday’s special “Christmas Eve on Sesame Street” (1978), in particular her Bart and Ernie segment, which was inspired by O. Henry’s story “The Gift of the Magi.”
In 1958, Mr. McGrath married Ann Logan Sperry, a preschool teacher whom he met on his first day in New York City. They had 5 children.
He is survived by 89-year-old McGrath and five children, Liam McGrath, Robert McGrath, Alison McGrath Osder, Lily McGrath, Cathlin McGrath, and eight grandchildren. He is also survived by his older sister Eileen Straubel.
“It’s a very different kind of fame,” McGrath said of his involvement with “Sesame Street” in an interview with the Television Academy.
He remembered a little boy in the store approaching him and taking his hand. At first he thought he was being mistaken for the father of his child. When he noticed that the boys seemed to think they knew each other, Mr. McGrath asked, “Do you know my name?” “Bob.” “Do you know where I live?” “Sesame Street.” “Do you know any other friends on Sesame Street?”
“Yeah,” replied the boy, quickly giving an example: “Oh, number seven.”
Livia Albek-Lipka contributed to the report.