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(per recent discussion, never voiced a recurring Muppet, three known instances are included in Sesame Street actors who performed voices.) |
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| + | [[Image:BobMcGrath.jpg|thumb|300px|]] |
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| − | {{attention}} |
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| − | [[Image: |
+ | [[Image:Bob1966.JPG|thumb|300px|Bob McGrath in 1966.]] |
| + | [[Image:BobGleeReunion.jpg|thumb|300px|Bob McGrath at the 150th reunion of the University of Michigan Glee Club, April 2010.]] |
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| − | '''Robert Emmet "Bob" McGrath''' (b. June 13, 1932 in Illinois) has been playing the role of [[Bob Johnson]] as a member of the cast of ''[[Sesame Street]]'' since the show's inception in 1969 |
+ | '''Robert Emmet "Bob" McGrath''' (b. June 13, 1932 in [[Illinois]]) has been playing the role of [[Bob|Bob Johnson]] as a member of the cast of ''[[Sesame Street]]'' since the show's inception in 1969. |
==Early life== |
==Early life== |
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| − | Bob first became interested in music at the age of |
+ | Bob McGrath first became interested in music at the age of 5; his immediate family acquired a piano when his grandmother moved into another house. His mother was a pianist in her own right; McGrath attributes his initial interest in music to her.<ref name="telearts1">Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation. July 15, 2004. Archive of American Television Interview with Bob McGrath Part 1 of 4. January 16, 2008. <http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2971965733861248851></ref> In high school, McGrath had a job at a radio station in an adjacent town. He was also involved in numerous musical plays and competitions. He later attended the University of Michigan as a voice major. During the time of the Korean War, McGrath was deployed to Germany, where he worked as part of the 7th Army Symphony. He joined a quartet, and the group toured France for about a month. Soon after, McGrath moved to New York, where he became part of another quartet.<ref name="telearts1">Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation. July 15, 2004. Archive of American Television Interview with Bob McGrath Part 1 of 4. January 16, 2008. <http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2971965733861248851></ref> |
| + | ==Singing career== |
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| ⚫ | McGrath performed with record producer/singer [[Mitch Miller|Mitch Miller's]] troupe, starting when one of Miller's long-time tenors bowed out in December of 1959, on records and then on TV's ''Sing Along with Mitch'' (1961-1964).{{youtube|QaWf51mj9pA}} He was actually a member of the chorus ("The Sing Along Gang"), but he got a chance to perform a solo on a St. Patrick's Day show, amazing audiences, including Miller himself. McGrath eventually became a featured soloist. Though the show's run ended in 1964, the cast and crew were invited to perform in Las Vegas and Japan. |
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| ⚫ | While on tour with Miller, Bob McGrath developed a sizable teenage following, where he was known as Bobu Magurasu (ボブ・マグラス). After eight hit albums and more than 30 hit singles, he continued to tour to sellout crowds. After three years, offers were made for him to move to Japan and continue recording and touring. However, pop stardom was passed over in preference to his family.<ref name="telearts1">Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation. July 15, 2004. Archive of American Television Interview with Bob McGrath Part 1 of 4. January 16, 2008. <http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2971965733861248851></ref> |
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| − | |||
| − | ==The Mitch Miller Show== |
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| ⚫ | |||
| − | |||
| − | ==More success in Japan== |
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| ⚫ | While on tour with Miller, Bob developed a sizable teenage following |
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| − | |||
==Life on the Street== |
==Life on the Street== |
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| − | + | McGrath learned about the Sesame Street casting call from a good friend. He was skeptical about the show's concept, but did sign on along with [[Matt Robinson]], [[Will Lee]], and [[Loretta Long]].<ref name="telearts2">Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation. July 15,2004. Archive of American Television. Interview with Bob McGrath Part 2 of 4. January 16, 2008. <http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8052123968899136558></ref> Both McGrath and Long have remained on the series to this day. |
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| + | When McGrath first joined the cast, one of the names he was offered for his character just happened to be Bobby. He figured he'd be faster to respond to his own name than to others such as Ted or Jack, so he opted for Bobby, but requested that they drop the 'by'. |
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| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | Bob McGrath and Will Lee were apparently very close; the two shared a dressing room. McGrath says he learned many lessons from Lee, particularly the importance of respecting the integrity of the children that members of the cast work with.<ref name="telearts2">Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation. July 15,2004. Archive of American Television. Interview with Bob McGrath Part 2 of 4. January 16, 2008. <http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8052123968899136558></ref> |
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| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | When Lee died in 1982, producers were faced with a dilemma. After exploring several options and conducting a great deal of research, the production crew finally decided to address the death directly (in [[episode 1839]] from the following year). The result was what many consider to be one of the most poignant moments in ''Sesame Street'' history, as McGrath recalled: |
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| − | + | {{quote|We saw the script and we thought, "Are we ever going to get through this?" and we barely did... we got through the scene, we just rehearsed it for a few hours, totally dry, with no emotion, and then when we finally went to tape, we with did it with some emotion, and barely got through it.<ref name="telearts2">Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation. July 15,2004. Archive of American Television. Interview with Bob McGrath Part 2 of 4. January 16, 2008. <http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8052123968899136558></ref>}} |
|
| − | - Bob McGrath recounts the pivotal scene from Goodbye, Mr. Hooper (2c) |
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| + | McGrath has cited this scene and the spoof of [[the Gift of the Magi]] from ''[[Christmas Eve on Sesame Street]]'' as his two favorite ''Sesame Street'' moments.<ref name="telearts2">Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation. July 15,2004. Archive of American Television. Interview with Bob McGrath Part 2 of 4. January 16, 2008. <http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8052123968899136558></ref> He also appeared in most of the other ''Sesame'' specials as well as both theatrical films, ''[[Follow That Bird]]'' and ''[[The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland]]''. |
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| + | By 2011, the season size and his personal schedule of episodes was so reduced, he told one newspaper: "It's like a hobby, quite frankly. But I don't mind, because it's still fun and still a great place to go to work. There's much less a sense of the neighborhood. They're using many fewer live people per segment. I don't mean to be negative. I'm just being realistic. The show is still great, but it's done differently for a different audience." |
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| − | |||
| − | |||
| + | ==Off the Street== |
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| + | Bolstered by his long-term ''Sesame Street'' work, McGrath has remained a popular and recognizable stage performer and recording artist, in addition to authoring several children's books. He continues to perform in concerts and make public appearances during the seven to eight months when ''Sesame Street'' is not taping shows. Traditionally his stage show consists of healthy amounts of ''Sesame Street'' songs along with Broadway music and movie tunes that appeal to children. He collaborates with several nonprofit organizations, including the Telemiracle Foundation in Saskatchewan, Canada (for which he appeared in annual Telemiracle telethons for many years, often accompanied by his daughter), and the Variety Children's Charity in British Columbia, Canada. On May 17, 2007, he lent his voice to a recording for Songs of Love, a charity which produces songs for the benefit of children with long - term health impairments.<ref>Hellmich, Nanci. "Tragedy spurs celebs to give ailing kids personalized songs." (electronic version). 14 May, 2007. USA Today. January 16, 2008. <http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-05-14-songs-of-love_n.htm></ref> In 2004, McGrath stated he had no intention of retiring. <ref name="telearts4">Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation. July 15, 2004. Archive of American Television Interview with Bob McGrath Part 4 of 4. January 16, 2008. <http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5795625290720105360&total=40&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=4></ref> |
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| + | ==Interviews== |
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| + | The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Foundation interviewed McGrath in 2004 for the Archive of American Television. The hour and a half interview was posted on YouTube in 2008. |
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| + | <gallery position=center widths=290> |
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| − | ==Other Work== |
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| + | Video:Bob McGrath - Archive Interview Part 1 of 4|part 1 |
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| + | Video:Bob McGrath - Archive Interview Part 2 of 4|part 2 |
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| + | Video:Bob McGrath - Archive Interview Part 3 of 4|part 3 |
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| + | Video:Bob McGrath - Archive Interview Part 4 of 4|part 4 |
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| + | </gallery> |
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| + | ==Discography== |
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| ⚫ | |||
| + | ==Books== |
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| − | McGrath continues to perform in concerts and make public appearances during the seven to eight months when ''Sesame Street'' is not taping shows. Traditionally his stage show consists of healthy amounts of ''Sesame Street'' along with Broadway music & movie songs that appeal to children. |
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| + | *''Me, Myself'' (1989) |
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| + | *''I'm a Good Mommy'' (1989) |
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| + | *''Dog Lies'' (1989) |
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| + | *''The Shoveler'' (1989) |
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| + | *''You're a Good Daddy'' (1989) |
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| + | *''Mr. Sneakers'' (1989) |
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| + | *''Uh Oh! Gotta Go!'' (1996) |
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| + | *''Oops! Excuse Me Please! and Other Mannerly Tales'' (1998) |
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| + | *''Music For Fun! for Pre-K through 2nd Grade Classes'' (with Marilyn Davidson) (2000) |
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| + | ==Sources== |
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| + | <small><references /></small> |
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| ⚫ | |||
| − | :''Official bio (from sesameworkshop.org):'' |
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| − | Bob McGrath (Bob) is an original cast member of Sesame Street. An accomplished singer with six children's albums to his credit, he performs family pop concerts and has appeared with more than 100 symphony orchestras in the U.S. and Canada. McGrath has authored eight books including Uh-Oh Gotta Go (on potty training) and Oops, Excuse Me Please (on manners). He co-authored an educational music curriculum book for Warner Bros. called Music For Fun, used by teachers from kindergarten to second grade. His rhythm band set produced by Rhythm Band Instruments is a Parent's Choice Award winner. He has a recording company called Bob's Kids Music, which encompasses his six albums. The Baby Record and Sing Me a Story have won both Parents Choice Awards and The Children's Music Web Award 2002. Bob's most recent project, Curriculum Connections with Educational Activities, is a professional development video and CD for teachers of Pre-K - 1st Grade, using music to develop six literacy skills. As an advocate for children, Bob has participated for over 30 years in telethons and other fundraising events and was recently honored as a lifetime member by the Variety Children's Charity in British Columbia. He was also recently inducted into the 2002 Silver Circle of The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. He is the recipient of the American Eagle Award by the National Music Council and the Fame Award by the National Association of Music Educators for furthering the cause of music education. He has been chairperson of National UNICEF Day, hosted World Children's Day at the United Nations and served as host and artistic director for the International Children's Festival at Wolf Trap for over 15 years. On Sesame Street, he plays a music teacher who lives in an apartment over the Mail It Shop and Hooper's Store. You can visit Bob at www.bobmcgrath.com. |
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| − | |||
| − | ==Albums== |
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| − | Albums released with the ''Sesame Street'' name attached. |
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| ⚫ | |||
| − | * ''[[Bob Sings!]]'' |
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| − | * ''[[Bob's Favorite Street Songs]]'' |
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| − | * ''[[Bob! from Sesame Street: Christmas Sing Along]]'' |
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| − | |||
| − | ==Trivia== |
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| − | *Bob McGrath performed the voice of one of the brothers in the ''[[Sesame Street]]'' song "[[Five People in My Family]]." |
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| − | |||
| ⚫ | |||
*[http://www.bobmcgrath.com/ Bob McGrath Official Web site] |
*[http://www.bobmcgrath.com/ Bob McGrath Official Web site] |
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| + | *[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkFYu8eoXcw&feature=user You Tube - Bob McGrath of Sesame Street and 15,000 young Mets fans] |
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| − | |||
[[Category:Sesame Street Cast|McGrath, Bob]] |
[[Category:Sesame Street Cast|McGrath, Bob]] |
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[[Category:Muppet Movies Actors|McGrath, Bob]] |
[[Category:Muppet Movies Actors|McGrath, Bob]] |
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| − | [[Category:Muppet Voice Actors|McGrath, Bob]] |
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Revision as of 06:04, 16 September 2013
Bob McGrath in 1966.
Bob McGrath at the 150th reunion of the University of Michigan Glee Club, April 2010.
Robert Emmet "Bob" McGrath (b. June 13, 1932 in Illinois) has been playing the role of Bob Johnson as a member of the cast of Sesame Street since the show's inception in 1969.
Early life
Bob McGrath first became interested in music at the age of 5; his immediate family acquired a piano when his grandmother moved into another house. His mother was a pianist in her own right; McGrath attributes his initial interest in music to her.[1] In high school, McGrath had a job at a radio station in an adjacent town. He was also involved in numerous musical plays and competitions. He later attended the University of Michigan as a voice major. During the time of the Korean War, McGrath was deployed to Germany, where he worked as part of the 7th Army Symphony. He joined a quartet, and the group toured France for about a month. Soon after, McGrath moved to New York, where he became part of another quartet.[1]
Singing career
McGrath performed with record producer/singer Mitch Miller's troupe, starting when one of Miller's long-time tenors bowed out in December of 1959, on records and then on TV's Sing Along with Mitch (1961-1964).(YouTube) He was actually a member of the chorus ("The Sing Along Gang"), but he got a chance to perform a solo on a St. Patrick's Day show, amazing audiences, including Miller himself. McGrath eventually became a featured soloist. Though the show's run ended in 1964, the cast and crew were invited to perform in Las Vegas and Japan.
While on tour with Miller, Bob McGrath developed a sizable teenage following, where he was known as Bobu Magurasu (ボブ・マグラス). After eight hit albums and more than 30 hit singles, he continued to tour to sellout crowds. After three years, offers were made for him to move to Japan and continue recording and touring. However, pop stardom was passed over in preference to his family.[1]
Life on the Street
McGrath learned about the Sesame Street casting call from a good friend. He was skeptical about the show's concept, but did sign on along with Matt Robinson, Will Lee, and Loretta Long.[2] Both McGrath and Long have remained on the series to this day.
When McGrath first joined the cast, one of the names he was offered for his character just happened to be Bobby. He figured he'd be faster to respond to his own name than to others such as Ted or Jack, so he opted for Bobby, but requested that they drop the 'by'.
Bob McGrath and Will Lee were apparently very close; the two shared a dressing room. McGrath says he learned many lessons from Lee, particularly the importance of respecting the integrity of the children that members of the cast work with.[2]
When Lee died in 1982, producers were faced with a dilemma. After exploring several options and conducting a great deal of research, the production crew finally decided to address the death directly (in episode 1839 from the following year). The result was what many consider to be one of the most poignant moments in Sesame Street history, as McGrath recalled:
McGrath has cited this scene and the spoof of the Gift of the Magi from Christmas Eve on Sesame Street as his two favorite Sesame Street moments.[2] He also appeared in most of the other Sesame specials as well as both theatrical films, Follow That Bird and The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland.
By 2011, the season size and his personal schedule of episodes was so reduced, he told one newspaper: "It's like a hobby, quite frankly. But I don't mind, because it's still fun and still a great place to go to work. There's much less a sense of the neighborhood. They're using many fewer live people per segment. I don't mean to be negative. I'm just being realistic. The show is still great, but it's done differently for a different audience."
Off the Street
Bolstered by his long-term Sesame Street work, McGrath has remained a popular and recognizable stage performer and recording artist, in addition to authoring several children's books. He continues to perform in concerts and make public appearances during the seven to eight months when Sesame Street is not taping shows. Traditionally his stage show consists of healthy amounts of Sesame Street songs along with Broadway music and movie tunes that appeal to children. He collaborates with several nonprofit organizations, including the Telemiracle Foundation in Saskatchewan, Canada (for which he appeared in annual Telemiracle telethons for many years, often accompanied by his daughter), and the Variety Children's Charity in British Columbia, Canada. On May 17, 2007, he lent his voice to a recording for Songs of Love, a charity which produces songs for the benefit of children with long - term health impairments.[3] In 2004, McGrath stated he had no intention of retiring. [4]
Interviews
The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Foundation interviewed McGrath in 2004 for the Archive of American Television. The hour and a half interview was posted on YouTube in 2008.
Discography
Books
- Me, Myself (1989)
- I'm a Good Mommy (1989)
- Dog Lies (1989)
- The Shoveler (1989)
- You're a Good Daddy (1989)
- Mr. Sneakers (1989)
- Uh Oh! Gotta Go! (1996)
- Oops! Excuse Me Please! and Other Mannerly Tales (1998)
- Music For Fun! for Pre-K through 2nd Grade Classes (with Marilyn Davidson) (2000)
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation. July 15, 2004. Archive of American Television Interview with Bob McGrath Part 1 of 4. January 16, 2008. <http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2971965733861248851>
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation. July 15,2004. Archive of American Television. Interview with Bob McGrath Part 2 of 4. January 16, 2008. <http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8052123968899136558>
- ↑ Hellmich, Nanci. "Tragedy spurs celebs to give ailing kids personalized songs." (electronic version). 14 May, 2007. USA Today. January 16, 2008. <http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-05-14-songs-of-love_n.htm>
- ↑ Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation. July 15, 2004. Archive of American Television Interview with Bob McGrath Part 4 of 4. January 16, 2008. <http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5795625290720105360&total=40&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=4>