Bob McGrath, an original ‘Sesame Street’ star who played the show’s music teacher, has died at 90.
Bob McGrath, an actor who played a wise music teacher on the original Sesame Street, has died. He was 90.
McGrath died at home in New Jersey yesterday (Dec. 4), according to a post on his Facebook page. His daughter Cathlin confirmed to The New York Times that McGrath died of stroke complications, telling the outlet that he had been surrounded by family who had decorated his home for Christmas and sang and danced with him the evening before he died.
“We just knew that he wanted to go the way he lived,” she told the Times.
McGrath starred on Sesame Street from the very beginning, and appeared on the popular children’s program for decades. His character, who was also named Bob, was a staple on the show from its first episode in 1969 until 2016, when McGrath — plus cast members Emilio Delgado and Roscoe Orman — were fired after HBO declined to renew their contracts.
In a statement shared on Twitter yesterday, Sesame Workshop mourned McGrath’s death, calling him “a beloved member of the Sesame Street family for over 50 years.
