Music On The Street: Remembering Bob McGrath

The Sesame Street man with the piano, a plan, and a big heart.

It has not been a good year for Sesame Street. First we lost Luis, our handy repairman and team dad for humans and Muppets alike. And now we lost our music man and teacher, Bob McGrath. At this point, can the Grim Reaper let up a little? Just a little? Maybe you can give the cast members and those who grew up on the show a break?

MSNBC has a very sweet write-up on Bob, and his life. He was there since the very first episode, which is a long track record considering how many people died, retired, or pursued other career opportunities. When HBO Max fired him following the acquisition in 2016, a cursed year as it was, people were rightly furious. Sesame Street may be a world where Muppets teach lessons to children, but you need the adults as a grounding influence. Take out those like Bob, Gordon and Luis, you have no one as a parent as the formerly-urban Street becomes more glamorous. Bob was a leader, and his episodes showed that.

Bob Was A Leader And A Teacher