Bob McGrath, the Sesame Street actor, singer, musician and children’s book author, died Sunday. He was 90 years old.
His family confirmed the news on Facebook, writing: “Hello Facebook friends. The McGrath family has sad news to share. Our father Bob McGrath passed away today. He died peacefully at home surrounded by his family.”
McGrath was one of Sesame Street’s original and longest-lasting human stars, appearing on the show from 1969 to 2017. He starred in a total of 460 episodes over the course of 47 seasons as an educator and musician. He performed many of the show’s original songs, including “People in Your Neighborhood”, “Sing a Song”, “If You’re Happy and You Know It” and the hugely popular theme song “Can You Tell Me How to Get to Sesame”. Street?”
He has also starred in countless Sesame Street productions over the years, including standalone films, sing-alongs, holiday specials, video games and more. These include Elmo’s Adventures in Grouchland, Follow That Bird, Christmas Eve on Sesame Street, Big Bird’s Story Time, Elmopalooza!, Ready for School, Sesame Street’s 50th Anniversary Celebration, Sesame Street: Friends to the Rescue and many more.
Although he retired from screen appearances in 2017, he continued to collaborate with Sesame Workshop, appearing at public events and serving as the company’s attorney.