Bob McGrath, Sesame Street actor, singer, musician and children’s author, died Sunday. He was 90 years old.
His family confirmed the news on Facebook writing, “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.”
McGrath was one of the original and longest-standing human stars of Sesame Street, appearing on the show from 1969-2017. He starred in a total of 460 episodes over the course of 47 seasons, serving 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 its extremely popular theme song, “Can You Tell Me How to Get to Sesame Street?”
He also starred in countless Sesame Street productions over the years including standalone films, sing-alongs, holiday specials, video games and more. These include The Adventures of Elmo 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 stepped away from on-screen appearances in 2017, he continued to work with Sesame Workshop, appearing at public events and serving as an advocate for the company.