Bob McGrath | |
|---|---|
 McGrath in 1989 | |
| Born | Robert Emmett McGrath (1932-06-13)June 13, 1932 Ottawa, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | December 4, 2022(2022-12-04) (aged 90) Norwood, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Education | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1954–2021 |
| Television | Bob Johnson onSesame Street (1969–2016, 2019) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 5 |
Robert Emmett McGrath (June 13, 1932 – December 4, 2022) was an American actor, singer, and children's author best known for playing original human character and music teacherBob Johnson on the educational television seriesSesame Street from 1969 to 2016.
McGrath was born on June 13, 1932, inOttawa, Illinois, the son of Flora Agnes (née Hallagan) and Edmund Thomas McGrath, a farmer.[1][2] He was named for the Irish patriotRobert Emmet. As a child he sang for his family while his mother played the piano. His mother enrolled him in the Roxy Theater's Amateur Program and he finished in second place. He graduated fromMarquette High School.[3]
McGrath graduated from theUniversity of Michigan in 1954; he went to theschool of music there. He was a member of theUniversity of Michigan Men's Glee Club[4][5] and the fraternity ofPhi Gamma Delta. During fraternity events he washed dishes whileDavid Connell, a fraternity brother, waited tables, a connection Connell used whenSesame Street casting began. After graduating, McGrath was inducted into theU.S. Army; he was inGermany for two years performing for theSeventh Army Symphony Orchestra and booking for them.[6]
McGrath earned a Master of Music degree in voice from theManhattan School of Music in 1959.[7]
McGrath worked withMitch Miller and was the featured tenor on Miller'sNBC-TV television singalong seriesSing Along with Mitch for four seasons from 1960 to 1964.[8][9] He was a singer on theWalt Kelly albumSongs of thePogo.[10]
In the mid-1960s, McGrath became a recording artist in Japan, releasing a series of successful albums of Irish and other folk songs and ballads sung in Japanese.[11][12] This aspect of his career was the basis of his "secret" when he appeared on the game showsTo Tell the Truth in 1966[13][14] andI've Got a Secret in 1967.[15][14]
From 1969 to 2016, McGrath was a regular cast member onSesame Street, playing Bob Johnson. Along with series matriarchSusan Robinson, played byLoretta Long, McGrath was one of the two longest-lasting human characters on the series since the show's debut. ANoggin segment proclaimed the four decades of Bob when promotingSesame Street on that network. In July 2016,Sesame Workshop announced that McGrath would not return to the show for its 47th season because it would be retooling the series, but that McGrath would continue to represent the Workshop at public events. Sesame Workshop later announced that there would be talks to bring him back and that he would still representSesame Street.[16][17][18] Although McGrath had not been in any new material since season 45, he subsequently appeared in online videos for the show. He also returned for the 2019 TV specialSesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration.[19]
McGrath said that his two favorite moments onSesame Street wereChristmas Eve on Sesame Street (a 1978 Christmas special that included apastiche of "The Gift of the Magi") and the 1983 sequence that candidly addressed the death of longtime characterMr. Hooper, played by his friendWill Lee, who had died the previous year.[20]
For 38 years, McGrath was a regular fixture onTelemiracle, atelethon broadcast annually onCTV outlets in theCanadian province ofSaskatchewan. His final regular appearance atTelemiracle was in 2015, where performers at the show paid tribute to him.[21] He returned for a special appearance in 2018.[22] On March 3, 2006, he was awarded theCommemorative Medal for the Centennial of Saskatchewan for this work byLieutenant Governor of SaskatchewanLynda Haverstock.[23] He was given the Saskatchewan Distinguished Service Award in 2013 by thePremier of Saskatchewan,Brad Wall.[24]
He received a Distinguished Service Award for his decades of service by the Variety Children's Charity Telethon in British Columbia.[25]
McGrath wrote many children's books, includingUh Oh! Gotta Go! (1996) andOOPS! Excuse Me Please! (1998).[26]
In 1995, he was awarded a grant from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists Award.[27]
McGrath'sSing Me a Story was nominated for the 7th Annual Independent Music Awards for children's Album of the Year.[28]
On April 10, 2010, he was the first recipient of the University of Michigan Men's Glee Club Lifetime Achievement Award.[29]
McGrath and his wife Ann married in 1958. They had five children and eight grandchildren. The couple lived inTeaneck, New Jersey, from 1958 until 2017, after which they moved to a ranch inNorwood, New Jersey.[30]
McGrath died from complications of astroke at his home in Norwood on December 4, 2022, at the age of 90.[14][2]
| Television | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
| 1960–1964 | Sing Along with Mitch | Singer | [26] | |
| 1966 | To Tell the Truth | Himself | 1 episode | [14] |
| 1967 | I've Got a Secret | 1 episode | [14] | |
| 1969–2016 | Sesame Street | Bob Johnson | [26] | |
| 1978 | Christmas Eve on Sesame Street | TV special | [2] | |
| 1985 | Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird | [26][31] | ||
| 1996 | Elmo Saves Christmas | TV special | [32] | |
| 1999 | The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland | [26] | ||
| 2014 | I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story | Himself | Documentary film | [33] |
| 2019 | Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration | Bob Johnson | TV special | [34] |
| 2021 | Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street | Himself | Documentary film; final appearance | [35] |
Today's Birthdays: Actor Bob McGrath is 82.
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