Bob McGrath, 'Sesame Street' Star, Dead at 90

Bob McGrath of 'Sesame Street' in 2013
Longtime ‘Sesame Street’ cast member Bob McGrath in 2013. (Image credit: Desiree Navarro/WireImage)

Bob McGrath, who played Bob Johnson on Sesame Street, died December 4. He was 90. He was on Sesame from the beginning, and departed in 2017. 

His family shared on Facebook, “The McGrath family has some sad news to share. Our father Bob McGrath, passed away today. He died peacefully at home, surrounded by his family.”

McGrath had a musical background, and his songs on Sesame include “People in Your Neighborhood.”

Sesame Workshop said in a statement, “Sesame Workshop mourns the passing of Bob McGrath, a beloved member of the Sesame Street family for over 50 years. A founding cast member, Bob embodied the melodies of Sesame Street like no one else, and his performances brought joy and wonder to generations of children around the world, whether teaching them the ABCs, the people in their neighborhood, or the simple joy of feeling music in their hearts.

“A revered performer worldwide, Bob’s rich tenor filled airwaves and concert halls from Las Vegas to Saskatchewan to Tokyo many times over. We will be forever grateful for his many years of passionate creative contributions to Sesame Street and honored that he shared so much of his life with us.” ■

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.