Actor Bob McGrath, who was an original cast member on the beloved children’s show “Sesame Street,” has died at the age of 90, his family said Sunday.
“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,” his family said.
McGrath was a regular cast member on “Sesame Street” from 1969 to 2016, and remembered by many children and adults today as music teacher and friendly neighbor Bob Johnson. He was one of four non-muppet cast members on “Sesame Street” when it debuted. He was known for many songs, including “Sing, Sing a Song,” “Believe in Yourself” and “The People in Your Neighborhood.”
Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind the show, said on Twitter that he “embodied the melodies of Sesame Street like no one else, and his performances brought joy and wonder to generations of children around the world.”
“We will be forever grateful for his many years of passionate creative contributions to Sesame Street and honored that he shared so much of his life with us,” Sesame Workshop said.
Prior to his career at “Sesame Street,” he was a well-known artist in Japan and was a singer on the 1960s show “Sing Along with Mitch.”
McGrath married his wife Ann in 1958, according to the Hollywood Reporter. He is survived by her, their five children, five granddaughters and three grandsons, according to Yahoo News.
