[4] All five of his children began working with Muppets at an early age, partly because "one of the best ways of being around him was to work with him", according to Cheryl. Joe Raposo, who wrote many songs for the series, died last year at the age of 52. Early Years James Maury Henson was born in Greenville, Mississippi on September 24, 1936. Smith. As young Robin the Frog, Kermits nephew, so eloquently said in a Muppets tribute to Henson shortly after his passing, "This Jim Henson may be gone, but maybe hes still here too, inside us, believing in us.". [13] [14] The film Muppets Most Wanted was dedicated to her and Jerry Nelson (who also died aged 78). Henson was born James Maury Henson on September 24, 1936, in Greenville, Mississippi, the younger of two children of Paul Ransom Henson (19041994), an agronomist for the United States Department of Agriculture, and his wife Betty Marcella (ne Brown, 19041972). On television, his animated series, ''Muppet Babies,'' which won four Emmy Awards, is in its sixth season on CBS. 1970). 
By his freshman year at the University of Maryland, in 1955, Henson had scored a bi-weekly bit on a local NBC affiliate, Sam and Friends. He graduated in 1960 with a Bachelor of Science degree in home economics. But from the beginning, we worked watching a television monitor, which is very different from working in a puppet theater.''. True, Jim Henson, who passed on seven years ago this week, was hardly a boy without a shadow. He began performing with his puppets on a local Washington, D.C. Saturday morning program. Mr. Henson had homes in Manhattan, Connecticut, Malibu, Calif., and London. On September 24, 2011, which what would have been Henson's 75th birthday, Mississippi town Leland renamed a local bridge to "The Rainbow Connection" to honor Henson and his work. [12] To provide a visual style distinct from the Muppets, the puppets in The Dark Crystal were based on conceptual artwork by Brian Froud,[34] and it was a critical success, winning several industry awards including the Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film and the Grand Prize Winner at the Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival. Bacterial pneumonia had completely destroyed his lungs within a matter of days. [22], Henson's talk show appearances culminated when he devised Rowlf, a piano-playing anthropomorphic dog that became the first Muppet to make regular appearances on The Jimmy Dean Show. [13] [14] The film Muppets Most Wanted was dedicated to her and Jerry Nelson (who also died aged 78). He coined the term Muppets as a meld of marionettes and puppets. He was admitted to the hospital on a Tuesday night and died at 1:21 a.m. on Wednesday, May 16, 1990. It would be 20 years before Mr. Henson's view of the Muppets as ''entertainment for everybody'' would be accepted enough for them to have their own television series. For decades, Jim Henson invited generations of kids and adults alike into his whimsical television playgrounds. In April 2021, it was reported that Michael Mitnick was hired to rewrite the screenplay, previously written by Aaron and Jordan Kandell. [citation needed], Henson spent much of the next two decades working in commercials, talk shows, and children's projects before realizing his dream of the Muppets as "entertainment for everybody". Early Years Henson was born on September 24, 1936, in Greenville, Mississippi. For the company he co-founded, see, From 19932010, the category was split into, Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film, Emmy for Outstanding Directing in a Variety or Music Program, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Sesame Street 20 Years & Still Counting, "Jim Henson, Puppeteer, Dies; The Muppets' Creator Was 53", "Muppet Master: An Interview with Jim Henson", "Moi? He produced a series of counting films for the numbers 1 through 10 which always ended with a baker (voiced by Henson) falling down the stairs while carrying the featured number of desserts. In Hollywood, its the bad guy whos usually more interesting. [40], Henson continued creating children's television, such as Fraggle Rock and the animated Muppet Babies. Dr. David Gelmont announced that Henson had died from Streptococcus pneumoniae, an infection that causes bacterial pneumonia. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Jim Henson, the man behind the Muppets, began working as a puppeteer in college, creating characters like Kermit the Frog. However, in July 1992 Brady was sued by Jim Henson Productions for unfair competition in addition to copyright and trademark infringement. He was 53. Henson left his company to his children, as he and his wife had separated in 1986. ''But they had developed their art and style to a certain extent before hitting television. Fozzie Bear had several musical performances, and even little Elmo of Sesame Street sang "Lydia the Tattooed Lady." As the show's theme song goes, Henson swept "the clouds away" with various original characters, including Big Bird, Ernie, Bert, Oscar the Grouch, Grover, Snuffulupagus and Elmo. It was too late by then his organs had started to shut down, and his body would not respond to antibiotics. See the article in its original context from. Early Years James Maury Henson was born in Greenville, Mississippi on September 24, 1936. He was admitted to the hospital on a Tuesday night and died at1:21 a.m. on Wednesday, May 16, 1990. Henson was an absolute master of his art, a brilliant puppeteer with the ability to create worlds beyond audiences' imaginations. "I'm just tired," he reportedly told his daughterCheryl. Somehow, that hit crystallized her character for me - the coyness hiding the aggression; the conflict of that love with her desire for a career; her hunger for a glamour image; her tremendous out-and-out ego.''. References [ edit] ^ a b c d "The Man Behind the Frog". [33], In 1982, Henson founded the Jim Henson Foundation to promote and develop the art of puppetry in the United States. James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 May 16, 1990) was an American puppeteer, animator, cartoonist, actor, inventor, and filmmaker who achieved worldwide notice as the creator of The Muppets and Fraggle Rock (19831987) and director of The Dark Crystal (1982) and Labyrinth (1986). Among his clients were Wilson Meats, Royal Crown Cola, Claussen's Bread, La Choy, and Frito-Lay, which featured an early version of his character Cookie Monster to promote their Munchos line of potato snacks. Jane Ann Nebel was born June 16, 1934 in St. Albans (Queens), New York City. Though born in Mississippi, Henson grew up in Hyattsville, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C., to which his father, a federal agronomist, had been assigned. She was buried at Saint Bridge Cemetery, Cornwall, Connecticut. Two hours later, Henson agreed to be taken by taxi to the emergency room at New YorkPresbyterian Hospital in Manhattan. [5] However, on May 29, 1990, Gelmont reclassified it as organ dysfunction resulting from streptococcal toxic shock syndrome caused by Streptococcus pyogenes. [60][61][62], One of Henson's last projects was the attraction Muppet*Vision 3D, which opened at Disney's Hollywood Studios on May 16, 1991, exactly one year after his death. Henson began developing puppets in high school. He was admitted to the hospital on a Tuesday night and died at 1:21 a.m. on Wednesday, May 16, 1990. At a young age, Henson was drawn to the arts. For millions, Henson's death came as a complete and utter shock. The Henson-directed The Great Muppet Caper (1981) followed, and Henson decided to end the Muppet Show to concentrate on making films,[3] though the Muppet characters continued to appear in TV movies and specials. This article is about the puppeteer. Jim Henson, born September 24th, 1936, died at the young age of 54 after changing the way American children learn and how their parents are entertained. And Jim Hensons vision plays on: His benevolent spirit hovers over the Henson Creature Shop creations for such movies as Adventures of Pinocchio; whenever Ernie warbles undying devotion to his rubber duckie on Sesame Street; and throughout last years Muppet movie escapade, Muppet Treasure Island, directed by Brian (another of his five children, Lisa, 36, is a former president of Columbia Pictures). Jim Henson, byname of James Maury Henson, (born September 24, 1936, Greenville, Mississippi, U.S.died May 16, 1990, New York, New York), American puppeteer and filmmaker, creator of the Muppets of television and motion pictures. Henson died an untimely death from an aggressive form of pneumonia called Group A streptococcus in New York City on May 16, 1990. Henson was having trouble breathing when he woke up on May 15, 1990, at around 2:00a.m. EST, and began coughing up blood. On May 16, 1990, the world lost a creative giant and generous soul. Over 300 "Wilkins and Wontkins" commercials were made. During this time, Henson continued to work with various companies who sought out his Muppets for advertising purposes. In the 1980s, he developed the TV series Fraggle Rock, The Jim Henson Hour and Jim Henson's The Storyteller. He appreciated just beauty.". Henson as Kermit sang "The Rainbow Connection", and it hit number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Hensons last project was Muppet*Vision 3D, a multimedia attraction installed at Disney theme parks in California and Florida. It's hard for most people to imagine pneumonia being a death sentence for someone still relatively young; pneumonia is generally considered dangerous for children and the elderly. WebIn 1990, Henson died in New York City at age 53 from streptococcal toxic shock syndrome caused by Streptococcus pyogenes. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Another was conducted on July 2, 1990, at St Paul's Cathedral in London. Hensons other daughter, Lisa, is currently CEO of the Jim Henson Company; his son, Brian, also a puppeteer, serves as a chair for the company. ''In one rehearsal, I was working as Miss Piggy with Jim, who was doing Kermit,'' Mr. Oz recalled in 1979, ''and the script called for her to slap him. Henson's legacy as a director, producer, writer, puppeteer and innovator has continued for decades to come, due in no small part to his wife of more than 30 years, the late Jane (Nebel) Henson. My father had the ability to make the good guy the more interesting, crazy, eccentric character.. Throughout Tuesday, family and friends kept vigil; the next morning, after two cardiac arrests, Hensons heart finally stopped. Carroll Spinney, as Sesame Street's Big Bird, paid tribute to his long-time friend and collaborator with a heart-rendering solo performance of "Bein' Green" (on YouTube), a song made famous by Kermit the Frog (who had been performed by Henson himself). Within the next five years, Jane gave birth to Lisa Henson (1960), Cheryl Henson (1961), Brian Henson (1963), and John Henson (1965). He worked as a producer on Sesame Street, a popular kids' show that launched in 1969, and created The Muppet Show in 1976. What stunned people most was the reason for Jim Henson's death. These television broadcasts greatly increased his exposure, leading to hundreds of commercial appearances by Henson characters throughout the '60s. Prior to his death in 1990, Henson was in negotiations with the Disney Company to sell the rights to the Muppets. That's when it killed Jim Henson, just 53 years old, over a shockingly short period of infection. If he had come on Monday, we probably could have saved him. Instead of a slap, I gave him a funny karate hit. Henson appeared with Kermit on The Arsenio Hall Show on May 4, 1990. All Rights Reserved. As a freshman, he created Sam and Friends, a five-minute puppet show for WRC-TV in Washington, D.C. He won the Emmy Award twice for his involvement in The StoryTeller (19871988) and The Jim Henson Hour (1989). [11] That same year, he scrapped plans for his Broadway show and moved his creative team to England, where The Muppet Show began taping. He appreciated the detail in a Persian rug. Bacterial pneumonia had completely destroyed his lungs within a matter of days. This would be his final television appearance. And Henson's greatest creations The Muppets themselves had an enormous role in his memorial service. [31] Henson's idol Edgar Bergen died at age 75 during production of the film, and Henson dedicated it to his memory. Jim Henson, born September 24th, 1936, died at the young age of 54 after changing the way American children learn and how their parents are entertained. The first Muppet to gain national exposure, Rowlf the Dog, went from making appearances in Purina commercials to playing a sidekick on The Jimmy Dean Show in 1963. When he died in New York City on April 6, 1992, at the age of 72, Asimovs brother Stanley reported the cause of death as heart and kidney failure. Involved in a Copyright-Infringement Suit? Jim Henson died from Group A streptococcus bacteria, which occasionally is extremely virulent and can overcome the organs of the body and kill even a healthy man in his 50s. Funeral goers were given Muppet butterflies on sticks to wave during the musical performances. Many of Henson's co-stars and directors from Sesame Street, the Muppets, and other works also shared their thoughts on his death. Heather Henson was born in 1970. Surprisingly, Henson had a challenging time getting the show financed in the United States, but eventually found the support needed with London-based TV producer Lord Lew Grade. But anyone watching couldn't help but feel a touch of heartbreak. It was critically well-received and won him another Emmy for Outstanding Directing in a Variety or Music Program, but it was canceled after 12 episodes due to poor ratings. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! WebJim Henson (September 24, 1936 - May 16, 1990) was the creator of the Muppets, founder of The Jim Henson Company, and the performer behind many of his company's most famous characters, including Kermit the Frog, Ernie, and Rowlf the Dog . X-ray images of his chest revealed multiple abscesses in both of his lungs as a result of a previous bacterial infection. Jim Henson's Creature Shop also continues to create characters and special effects for both Henson-related and outside projects. Henson's characters are currently performed by the following puppeteers: Matt Vogel (Kermit), Peter Linz (Ernie, Link Hogthrob), Eric Jacobson (Guy Smiley, The Newsman), Dave Goelz (Waldorf) and Bill Barretta (Rowlf the Dog, The Swedish Chef, Dr. [58], Sesame Workshop acquired the Sesame Street characters in 2000. He also directed the original "C Is For Cookie" and Tales from Muppetland, a short series of TV movie specials that were comic retellings of classic fairy tales aimed at a young audience and hosted by Kermit the Frog. As he entered college (the University of Maryland), Henson and his future wife, Jane Nebel, created a puppet show on a Washington television station and kept the job throughout their school years, developing the first Muppets (including Kermit) on a five-minute television program called Sam and Friends. 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