Floyd Pepper

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Performer:

Jerry Nelson

Floyd Pepper

Design Team:

Michael K. Frith • (designer)

Dave Goelz • (builder)

Jerry Nelson's Floyd autograph

Floyd Pepper is the bass player for the Electric Mayhem band on The Muppet Show. He first appeared in the 1975 pilot The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence. One of the more vocal band members, Floyd's hip sarcasm is often directed at other Muppet Show regulars, particularly Miss Piggy. Frequently paired with Janice, Floyd also has a certain influence on Animal, or at least as much as anyone can. In picture books such as The Case of the Missing Mother, or certain installments of the Muppet comic strip, Floyd is practically Animal's keeper, pulling his chain and looking after him.

At a Museum of Television and Radio seminar in 1992, performer Jerry Nelson said:

I always thought of Floyd as a character who had probably been a beatnik first, and then -- just like real life -- probably been a beatnik, and then he was into jazz and poetry, and then he probably went along with the chase into rock and roll, because he needed a job. He drew the line at punk, as I probably did myself, I think. That's why I can relate to Floyd, I guess, because he's all those things.

The Muppet Show

On The Muppet Show, Floyd regularly appeared backstage and interacted with characters outside of The Electric Mayhem. He has also been involved in the plot of a few episodes.

In episode 123, Floyd led the band in quitting because they didn't like the theme song. Floyd later told Kermit that the band would stay if he wrote the theme song. However, Kermit did not like this new theme (Fugue for Frog), and it was never explained on the show how Kermit was able to get the band to stay. They just appeared in the next episode, as if there was never any conflict at all.

In episode 201, Floyd was very active backstage, as the band decided to make Fozzie Bear an honorary hip person because he planned on making "Lullaby of Birdland" the closing number, and he gave Fozzie a pair of shades for being hip. However, after the performance, the band took a vote and decided that Fozzie was no longer hip, and Floyd took Fozzie's shades away.

In episode 305, Floyd was chosen to appear in the Muppets performance of "Camelot", in a role that Floyd wasn't too thrilled to be playing.

In episode 407, when Dudley Moore decided to have a music-making robot, M.A.M.M.A., provide the music for the show, the band was against this, and Floyd did most of the talking for the band.

In episode 506, Floyd portrayed the role of the Catepillar in the Muppets performance of Alice in Wonderland.

Some of Floyd's songs include "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "New York State of Mind".

Floyd's name is a play on two band names; namely Pink Floyd (his name is Floyd and he's pink), and the Beatles (his last name and the jacket he wears are a homage to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band)

Movies and Specials

Floyd was also very active in the Muppet movies and specials. In The Muppet Movie, he introduced each member of the band to Kermit and Fozzie. In one scene in Rocky Mountain Holiday with John Denver and the Muppets, he and John Denver went fishing, and sang "Gone Fishing" together. Floyd and Janice also introduced a selection of Muppet music clips together in The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years.

Clothing

His original outfit was a suit similar to the ones worn by The Beatles on their album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", along with a green hat. During the last season of The Muppet Show, Floyd switched to a red jacket and varying shirt colors. In a Muppetism and a number of other later productions (including the Studio DC: Almost Live specials), he wore a blue jacket and a brown hat, though he also wears his original outfit from time to time.