Phil Baron, full name Philip Mitchell Baron, is a songwriter, actor, and puppeteer best known as the voice of Teddy Ruxpin for a line of talking toys and spin-off animated series. Baron served as an additional puppeteer on Muppets Tonight episode 103 and composed songs for Sesame Street projects, including the video Sing-Along Earth Songs.

Baron began his career in the 1970s as half of the comedy duo "Willio and Phillio" (with Will Ryan). Apart from Teddy Ruxpin (for which Baron composed songs and wrote occasional scripts), his other achievements included composing music and supplying voices for the Disney Channel series Welcome to Pooh Corner (also voicing Piglet) and Dumbo's Circus, scoring Donald Duck Presents, and serving as executive producer of Rhino Records' Kid Rhino division, overseeing titles featuring Bugs Bunny, Batman, and Frosty the Snowman. He’s also received the Jim Henson Award for Excellence in Television, and worked on several Jewish-heritage themed children's puppet videos, including Bubbe’s Boarding House and the Alef-Bet-Blast Off! series. Baron currently serves as cantor at Congregation Beth Shalom in Santa Clarita, California.

External linksEdit

• Valley Beth Shalom
• "A Teddy of a Cantor" article