Jerry Nelson

Jerry Nelson (July 10, 1934 - August 23, 2012) started his puppeteering career working for Bil Baird. Throughout the '60s, he worked on-and-off with Jim Henson. In 1970, he joined the company and began working regularly on Sesame Street. Nelson performed as a principal puppeteer in numerous Muppet productions for over thirty years, including the Muppet movies, The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock, and various TV specials.

By the mid 2000s, Nelson had stepped away from performing his classic Muppet characters, due to health reasons, but he continued to voice his characters on Sesame Street. In late 2009, Nelson released his album Truro Daydreams.

Early Works with Henson

Jerry Nelson with Saturday Night Live’s Scred.

Jerry Nelson and Dave Goelz on the set of Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas.

Jerry Nelson first worked with Jim Henson in 1965 when Frank Oz got drafted and Henson needed somebody to perform the right hand of Rowlf on The Jimmy Dean Show. However, Frank Oz failed his draft physical, but since Nelson had just gotten his job, Oz chose to take some time off from performing and thereby allow Nelson to stay on with the Muppets.

One of Nelson's first major roles was Featherstone in Hey Cinderella! and The Frog Prince. Throughout the early 1970s, Nelson also performed a full-body monster named Thog, who appeared in The Great Santa Claus Switch and various variety show appearances. In The Frog Prince, he performed Kermit the Frog's nephew Robin for the first time; however, in that appearance, although Robin's voice and personality were the same, the character was actually a prince who was turned into a frog. Nelson also performed T.R. and Caleb Siles in The Muppet Musicians of Bremen, Scred on Saturday Night Live, and Emmet Otter in Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas.

Sesame Street

Jerry Nelson, with assistance from Richard Hunt, performing Herry Monster.

Jerry Nelson and Fran Brill performing Biff and his niece Roxie Marie, during the taping of Sesame Street Episode 3136.

With Keith Hernandez and Mookie Wilson.

Jerry Nelson became part of Sesame Street as it began its second season. In this season alone, he was given a variety of new characters, including Herbert Birdsfoot, Sherlock Hemlock, Herry Monster, Little Jerry, Simon Soundman, and Farley. In 1972, he originated the role of Count von Count, who is perhaps his best-known character. Other notable characters in Nelson's repertoire included The Amazing Mumford, Mr. Johnson, Frazzle, Sam the Robot, and Fred the Wonder Horse. He also did announcer voices very often, including the announcers for the Sesame Street News Flash and Super Grover openings.

Nelson was also the original performer of Big Bird's best friend, Mr. Snuffleupagus, operating the front half while Richard Hunt was the back half. Nelson eventually ceased doing the physical puppeteering for Snuffy, for a time only providing the voice before dropping out of the role altogether. Most sources (including Sesame Street Unpaved and Sesame Street: A Celebration - 40 Years of Life on the Street) state that Nelson stopped playing Snuffy after hurting his back. In a 2009 interview, Nelson gave a different explanation: "I was not loath to give that character up. But the reasons for giving it up were because at that time we were doing The Muppet Show and he was a real part of the show, and they needed his presence. So they asked if I'd mind giving it up."

Nelson and Richard Hunt were often paired together on Sesame Street. While goofing around on the set one day, they acted like a two-headed monster, and inspired by this, a Two-Headed Monster character was created for them. Jerry Nelson performed the left half of the monster, and because of this, had to perform the character's head with his left hand. (Most performers use their right hands to perform the heads of their characters.) Nelson and Hunt also performed a duo known as Biff and Sully.

Aside from his prolific Muppet performances, Nelson has lent his vocals to a number of live-action and animated song inserts. These have included "Moonshine" and "Don't Waste Water," rerecorded versions of Joe Raposo's "Frog Struggle Song" and "There's a Bird on Me," and the Number Guy segments. Nelson's announcing duties extended to Elmo's World, voicing the announcer heard on Elmo's TV (replacing Ron Marshall after Season 32) that introduces the channel Elmo is watching.

39 Years on a 40 Year Street: An Essay by Jerry Nelson

“Today marks the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street. Other than the news, historically the longest running show on television. Well, with the possible exception of a soap opera or two. Still in all, it is humbling to have been a part of something so significant in the history of the media that was born in my lifetime.

Forty years, seems like a lifetime. Over half of my seventy five years on this planet has been spent being what has been referred to as a Muppeteer. It’s funny when I think about it because at least twenty of those years I denied being a puppeteer. I was an actor who was working with puppets until a film or stage job came along and all I really wanted to do was sing.

My grandparents used to give me a quarter to learn and sing songs when I was a sprout about five years old. “South of the Border” was maybe the first of a long list of tunes and I’m still learning them and singing them and will until the day I die. I don’t know if they knew the extent of what they were doing and how they were prepping me to have a way to get along in the world, but I like to think so.

I guess everything you observe and do and experience in life adds to that oneness that makes each of us so unique and at the same time makes us an everyman that shares the human condition in the most fundamental ways.

Working with the Henson organization was like working with your family and when I started working on Sesame Street that was another extended family so now the family was immense. The idea behind this Sesame Street project was to use the tool of television to teach underprivileged preschool children, but what happened was that the show charmed, taught, and brought love and laughter into the hearts and minds of children and adults all over the world.

Chance, dumb luck or destiny? Who knows the controlling force that chooses where and how we find our lives manifest?

I can only say I have traveled through the breathtaking up and down melody of a lifetime that, I studied and trained for, wandered the paths of least resistance (following my water nature) to, and that I am either blessed and one of the luckiest bozos walking this planet or both. In any case: Yeehaw, Hot Dawg, you old mustang you and Boy Howdy, today I’m celebrating by getting all my chores done for once! (Oh, didn’t I tell you? I’m also the laziest man on earth.)

Norman Stiles, who was the first writer to write for Count, sent me this yesterday:

'It's a beautiful thing. Happy Birthday! Let's put 40 candles in the cake! Then let's light 40 candles! Then let's blow out 40 candles! Then we must take 40 candles out of the cake! Then it will be time to lick the icing off of 40 candles! Then we'll eat the cake, taking one thousand tiny little bites! And then we will count the burps! Ha, ha, ha!'

Norman, obviously hasn't lost it but.... I wish I'd said that!”
—Jerry Nelson

The Muppet Show

Jerry Nelson, with his puppet lookalike.

Jerry Nelson performing Floyd Pepper.

Nelson puppeteering Lew Zealand, performing one of his singing fish acts, during filming of Episode 524 of The Muppet Show.

Jerry Nelson with Robin the Frog.

Jerry Nelson with Fleet Scribbler.

Jerry Nelson performed in both of the Muppet Show pilots. In The Muppets Valentine Show, he reprised Thog and also performed Droop and Miss Mousey. In The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence, he performed Electric Mayhem bass player Floyd Pepper for the first time, Statler, and several other roles (including Dr. Nauga and two of the Seven Deadly Sins).

When production began on The Muppet Show as a series, Nelson chose to spend some time with his daughter and therefore couldn't perform in every first-season episode. Because of this, he had to give up the role of Statler, but for the most part he retained his other established characters (Floyd Pepper, Robin, Droop, etc.) Nelson did not perform in episodes 101-103 and 111-115. However, when the first two episodes were reworked later in the first season, Nelson performed Floyd in a segment that was added to episode 102.

None of Nelson's characters were as central to the show as characters like Kermit, Miss Piggy, and Scooter, and therefore he often played major one-shot backstage characters, such as Irving Bizarre, Big Tiny Tallsaddle, and Angus McGonagle. His notable recurring characters included Camilla the Chicken, Pops, Louis Kazagger, and Dr. Julius Strangepork. One such character, Lew Zealand, was originally intended as a one-shot, but soon became a recurring character. Beginning in the second season, Nelson took over two of John Lovelady's roles: Crazy Harry and the Announcer. Nelson went on to perform nearly every Muppet announcer in a major Henson production until 2002. Nelson was also given such rarely-seen recurring characters as J.P. Grosse, Fleet Scribbler, and Uncle Deadly.

In addition to his versatility at character dialects, Nelson was an accomplished vocalist, and often received showcases on The Muppet Show. This applied to musician characters such as Floyd or Slim Wilson, regularly used in band and musical numbers. Other regular characters also vocalized: Robin on "Halfway Down the Stairs" or "I'm Five," Thog singing "Oh Babe What Would You Say," or Pops singing "Once in Love With Amy." Nelson performed many songs as one-shot characters, including "All of Me," "The Windmills of Your Mind," and "Three Little Fishies." Nelson was often paired with Louise Gold in musical numbers, such as "Henrietta's Wedding" and "Your Feet's Too Big."

On his characters, Jerry Nelson was quoted in a 1978 "Muppet Show Fan Club" newsletter:

“Each one of them is an aspect of my own personality. The Muppets are roles I assume, rather than puppets I manipulate. Robin, for instance, is an undersized metaphor for my own insecurities. He has a childlike curiosity about how things work. Uncle Deadly is the greatest ham actor of all time; Floyd is my laid-back, mellow side -- cool. And then there's Crazy Harry, whose ultimate trip is spontaneous combustion. An analyst told me I should develop that side of my personality. I don't think he meant I should go around exploding everything -- just that I should give my emotions more freedom.”

Nelson continued to speak fondly of his performance opportunities in later years:

“I feel blessed to have worked on something that has become such an icon of the times. I've certainly always thought I've been really lucky in that respect. I enjoy singing and I get to sing a lot. I get to be in a band (The Electric Mayhem) without really being in a band. All of those things make me say, 'Well, that's one blessing. That's another blessing.'”

1980s

Jerry Nelson as Gobo, with Steve Whitmire as Wembley.

On Fraggle Rock, Jerry Nelson performed the show's lead character, Gobo Fraggle. He also played Marjory the Trash Heap and Pa Gorg. Nelson was one of the few Muppet performers to record voices in The Dark Crystal, as the Dying Skeskis Emperor and the Skeksis High Priest (puppeteered by others). In The Christmas Toy, he performed Balthazar, who he would reprise on the series The Secret Life of Toys (for which he also wrote songs). On The Jim Henson Hour, he recurred as Beard and played various one-shots and prominent supporting roles in the one-shot specials.

1990s

Jerry Nelson with Leslie Carrara-Rudolph on the set of Muppets Tonight.

Following Richard Hunt's death in 1992, Nelson took over the role of Statler, which he had originated in The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence. He also performed The Ghost of Christmas Present in The Muppet Christmas Carol, as well as Mad Monty and Blind Pew in Muppet Treasure Island.

He performed many minor characters on Muppets Tonight, as well as one-time characters on Dog City and The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss. Nelson was a lead performer in the two theatrical Muppet outings from Jim Henson Pictures, where in addition to his regular characters, he played Ubergonzo in Muppets from Space and the Grouch Mayor in The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland.

2000s

Dave Goelz and Jerry Nelson on the set of Muppets Tonight

Jerry Nelson and Gobo Fraggle

Nelson in a Bossmen rig

Jerry Nelson with Lew Zealand.

Jerry Nelson records for Fraggle Rock.

In the early 2000s, Jerry Nelson began to phase out performing his primary Muppet Show family characters. Many of his characters drifted to silent background roles and several were recast; Statler was assumed by Steve Whitmire starting with 2002's "Keep Fishin'" music video, Floyd Pepper was briefly recast to John Kennedy, and Nelson's half of the Two-Headed Monster on Sesame Street was passed to Joey Mazzarino in 2001. For the 2002 TV movie It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, Bill Barretta replaced him as Lew Zealand, but Nelson looped the voices of Robin, Statler, and others. At the same time, Nelson was still actively performing on Sesame Street.

It was long rumored that health issues were beginning to limit Nelson's involvement in the high-demanding Muppet projects as he continued to stay active in the ranks of the Muppeteers. Nelson stated in an August 2006 post that he had been dealing with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and prostate cancer. “It is long and boring but I have had health issues for a couple of years now. Different ones...I do intend to work with my old friend Count Von Count again this next season.” By the late 2000s, Nelson could no longer do the physical puppeteer work, but he continued to voice the Count and his other characters for Sesame Street while Matt Vogel normally did the puppetry. Starting in 2008, Vogel took over most of Nelson's Muppet Show roles as well.

In 2005, Nelson was one of the narrators on the audiobook version of It's Not Easy Bein' Green, displaying his vocal versatility by reciting most of the quotes from Muppet characters, including Dr. Teeth and the Doozers. He also participated in exclusive DVD interviews for the first two seasons of Fraggle Rock and Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas.

2010s

Although he was uncredited, Nelson reprised his role as announcer during The Muppet Telethon in 2011's The Muppets. Audio clips of his original introductions to Veterinarian's Hospital and Pigs in Space are also heard in the film, when Kermit first walks into The Muppet Theatre. In 2012, Nelson participated in Frank Oz's documentary Muppet Guys Talking (which was finally released in 2017), and served as announcer for the concert Jim Henson's Musical World.

Jerry Nelson died on August 23, 2012 after years of health issues complicated by COPD. His final Sesame Street performances, which aired in seasons 43 and 44, included voicing the Count in "Five By" and the Street story for Episode 4401, Mr. Johnson in "The Coffee Plant," and Humpty Dumpty in a Word of the Day segment. Nelson also voiced the Count for Kinect Sesame Street TV and the Universal Studios Singapore attraction Spaghetti Space Chase (as well as a news announcer in the pre-show).

The show paid tribute to Nelson with Episode 4411, which celebrates his best-known Sesame character. Nelson's likeness is depicted on the Noble Prize for Counting and, for the Count's entrance at the story's climax, archive audio of Nelson is edited together to form new dialogue. Nelson's introductory voice-over from The Muppets was re-used in Muppets Most Wanted. The film was dedicated to him and Jane Henson.

Puppeteer credits

for a complete character gallery, see Jerry Nelson characters

• The Muppet Show: Floyd Pepper, Robin the Frog, Dr. Julius Strangepork, and others...
• Sesame Street: Count von Count, Herry Monster, Mr. Johnson, and others...
• The Jimmy Dean Show (1965-1966): Rowlf's right-hand
• Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall (1965): Donder
• Commercials
  • Assisting for Southern Colonel, Nutty Bird, and others
  • Federal Housing Administration spot: The Nightmare
• The Ed Sullivan Show: Clam, Twill
• The Great Santa Claus Switch: Thog, Zippity, Snivelly
• Tales from Muppetland: Featherstone, Caleb Siles, Rover Joe (puppet), Stepsister #2, Sweetums (puppetry only), T.R.
• The Perry Como Winter Show
• Muppet Meeting Films: Announcers, P. Fenton Cosgrove
• One to One: The King of Phumph
• Saturday Night Live: Scred
• The Muppets Valentine Show
• The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence: Floyd Pepper, Statler, Envy, Gluttony, Gene Shalit Muppet, Thomas Jefferson, Yellow Stalk
• Herb Alpert and the TJB: Miss Piggy, Muppet Man, Beautiful Day Monster (voice only)
• Peter Alexander präsentiert Spezialitäten #10: Ernie
• Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas: Emmet Otter, Doc Bullfrog, Melissa Rabbit, Stanley Weasel, Will Possum, Yancy Woodchuck
• The Muppet Movie: Floyd Pepper, Camilla the Chicken, Robin the Frog, Lew Zealand, Crazy Harry
• The Great Muppet Caper: Floyd Pepper, Dirty Bird, Pops, Lew Zealand, Louis Kazagger
• The Dark Crystal: Dying Skeksis Emperor (voice), Skeksis High Priest (voice)
• Fraggle Rock: Gobo Fraggle, Marjory the Trash Heap, Pa Gorg (face and voice), Architect Doozer, and others...
• Rocky Mountain Holiday
• Big Bird in China
• Don't Eat the Pictures
• The Muppets Take Manhattan: Floyd Pepper, Camilla the Chicken, Lew Zealand, Crazy Harry, Pops, Bear
• Follow That Bird: Count von Count, Biff, Herry Monster
• Learning About Numbers
• Sing Along
• The Christmas Toy: Balthazar
• Little Muppet Monsters
• The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years: Floyd Pepper, Robin the Frog, Count von Count, Lew Zealand, Crazy Harry, Pops, Two-Headed Monster
• A Muppet Family Christmas: Ma Bear, Robin the Frog, Floyd Pepper, Count von Count, Gobo Fraggle, Two-Headed Monster, Camilla the Chicken, Lew Zealand, Herry Monster
• Count It Higher: Great Music Videos from Sesame Street
• Sesame Street, Special
• The Jim Henson Hour: Beard, Orange Extreme, Jo Beth Garfdoohoo
• The Muppets at Walt Disney World: Robin the Frog, Ma Bear, Floyd Pepper, Camilla
• The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson: Robin the Frog, Floyd Pepper, Lew Zealand, Camilla the Chicken, Frogs
• Monster Hits!
• Sing Yourself Silly!
• Rock & Roll!
• Dance Along!
• Sing, Hoot & Howl with the Sesame Street Animals
• Elmo's Sing-Along Guessing Game
• The Muppet Christmas Carol: Robin the Frog (as Tiny Tim Cratchit), Statler (as Jacob Marley), Ma Bear, Ghost of Christmas Present, Lew Zealand, Pops, and others...
• Dog City: Big Time Producer
• Muppet Sing Alongs: Billy Bunny's Animal Songs: Cecil Bear, Raccoon, The Turtle, Frogs
• Sesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebration
• We All Sing Together
• A New Baby in My House: Prince Firstly
• Sesame Street Stays Up Late
• The Secret Life of Toys: Balthazar, Bratty Rat, Dinkybeard
• Muppet Classic Theater: The Big Bad Wolf, Loyal Royal Advisor, Montague, The Royal Jester
• Muppet Treasure Island: Statler (as Figurehead of the Hispaniola), Blind Pew, Mad Monty, Floyd Pepper, and others...
• The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss: The Snoozer
• Muppets Tonight: Statler, Lew Zealand, Elvises, Floyd Pepper, A. Ligator, and others...
• Imagine That!
• Elmo Saves Christmas
• Elmo Says BOO!
• Elmopalooza
• Let's Eat!: Funny Food Songs
• Muppets from Space: Ubergonzo, Robin the Frog, Floyd Pepper, Statler
• The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland: Count von Count, Mr. Johnson, Pestie, Grouch Mayor, Grouch Cop
• CinderElmo
• Elmo's Musical Adventure: Peter and the Wolf
• Elmo's World: Wild Wild West!
• It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie: Robin the Frog, Statler, Pops, Floyd, Maxine, Announcer, Rat
• A Magical Halloween Adventure
• A Celebration of Me, Grover
• Studio DC Hosted by Dylan and Cole Sprouse
• Abby in Wonderland: The Counterpillar
• Families Stand Together: Mr. Jerry
• The Best of Elmo 2: Dr. Sigmund Sillystuff

Audio credits

• Sesame Street: Number Guy; solo/lead vocal performances on the songs Turkey in the Straw, Moonshine, Don't Waste Water, Lucky Thirteen, I'm the Big One Now, In My Book, Get Out and Stay Out; remakes of Frog Struggle Song, Young MacDonald, Planets, Moon and Stars, and There's a Bird on Me
• Muppets Inside CD-ROM: The Newsman, Statler, Lew Zealand, Floyd Pepper (archive footage)
• Big Bird's Band Plays Together: Narrator
• The Magic Shoes: Narrator
• Silly Stories: Narrator, Mean Marty
• Elmo and the Orchestra: Leonard Birdseed
• What's the Name of That Song?: The Number 8
• It's Not Easy Being Green audio book: Performed quotes from Dr. Teeth, Fraggles, Doozers, the guitarist from The Cube, and others
• The Muppets: The Announcer
• Spaghetti Space Chase: Sesame Street News Network (SSNN) Announcer
• Muppets Most Wanted: The Announcer (reused from The Muppets)

Notes

• His daughter Christine, who was dying of cystic fibrosis, made a cameo appearance with him in The Great Muppet Caper.
• Nelson also wrote songs for Muppet productions: "Don't Throw It on the Ground" (lyrics) for Sesame Street, various songs (lyrics, music, or both) for The Secret Life of Toys, and "Where You At?" for The Muppet Show Live.

See also

• Jerry Nelson cameos
• Jerry Nelson Discography
• Jerry Nelson characters

External links

• Kenneth Plume's 2000 interview with Nelson — part 1 • part 2 • part 3 • part 4
• ToughPigs.com 2009 interview with Jerry Nelson
• The Muppet Mindset 2011 interview with Jerry Nelson — part 1 • part 2 • part 3
• Jerry Nelson on Breathing.com
• Jim Henson's Red Book entry about Nelson's beginnings with the Muppets
• Jessica Max Stein's obituary/memorial essay for Nelson
• Halfway Down the Stairs fansite (archive.org)
• "Remembering Jerry Nelson" playlist on SesameStreet's YouTube Channel