Ringside Report Pays Tribute to Iconic Puppeteer Caroll Spinney

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By Geoffrey Huchel

Caroll Spinney, the iconic puppeteer behind two of SESAME STREET’S most popular characters, Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, passed away December 8, 2019 at the age of 85 at his home in Woodstock, Connecticut.

Spinney was born on December 26, 1933 in Waltham, Massachusetts. His mother named him Caroll because he was born the day after Christmas. Since he was a young child, Spinney developed a love for puppeteering, and used it through childhood and adolescence to earn college tuition. He graduated from Acton High School in Acton, Massachusetts. After graduation he served in the US Air Force. While in the Air Force, Spinney wrote and illustrated Harvey, a comic strip about military life.

In his early puppeteering days, he performed in the show Rascal Rabbit in Las Vegas. He returned to Boston, joining THE JUDY AND GOGGLE SHOW in 1958. Throughout the 1960s he performed on the Boston broadcast BOZO’S BIG TOP (1966), playing various costumed characters.

In 1969 Spinney joined SESAME STREET (1969) for its inaugural season. Though Big Bird and Oscar were his main characters, Spinney also performed as other characters, such as Bruno the Trashman and Granny Bird, Big Bird’s grandmother. Spinney portrayed Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch throughout the show’s 50 years, until announcing his retirement on October 17, 2018. And for those 50 years, Spinney left a lasting impression in TV history and has a special place in the hearts of children who have learned from and grew up watching SESAME STREET. His last performances were recorded as part of the series’ landmark 50th season. Spinney’s TV and film credits as Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch include THE ELECTRIC COMPANY (1971) , THE MUPPET SHOW (1976), THE MUPPET MOVIE (1979), THE GREAT MUPPET CAPER (1981), MISTER ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD (1968), BIG BIRD IN CHINA (1983), FOLLOW THAT BIRD (1985), THE MUPPETS: A CELEBRATION OF 30 YEARS (1986), A MUPPET FAMILY CHRISTMAS (1987), THE BEST OF BERT AND ERNIE (1988), BIG BIRD IN JAPAN (1988), ELMO SAVES CHRISTMAS (1996), THE ADVENTURES OF ELMO IN GROUCHLAND (1999), SCRUBS (2001), NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN (2009) and ONCE UPON A SESAME STREET CHRISTMAS (2016).

Spinney was awarded four Daytime Emmy Awards for his portrayals on the series and two Grammy Awards for related recordings.

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