Herbie Hancock (b. 1940) is an Academy Award- and Grammy award-winning American jazz pianist and composer. He embraced elements of rock, funk, electro, and soul while adopting freer stylistic elements from jazz.
In the 1980s, Hancock made an appearance on Sesame Street. Maria and the Kids visit him in the studio where he demonstrates what a Fairlight CMI synthesizer can do with Tatyana Ali's voice. The segment closes with a rendition of the "Sesame Street Theme" as played by Hancock.