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| Jerry Nelson |
Let us count the ways in which children everywhere loved Jerry Nelson? Read this in the voice of Count von Count, please: First, he expressed the above number loving vampire to life on Sesame Street.
Those who were not in their most impressionable years would have preferred the censored parody innocent-turned-very improper Count counting that went viral.
Two, he gave life to the purple-haired Fraggle on Fraggle Rock Gobo explorer. And if that were not enough, three years, he emerged not only on The Muppet Show, but movies and promotions throughout the year. What makes it even more sad that Nelson died yesterday?
The puppeteer died Thursday at the age of 78 years to unspecified causes, according to Radio-Canada.
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"The cast and crew of Sesame Street and the staff of Sesame Workshop mourn the loss of actor and creator of dozens of characters, Jerry Nelson Muppet," the team wrote in a message on In Memoriam Sesame Workshop. "A house member Sesame Street for o'er 40 years, it will be forever in our hearts and memories for his art puppetry, music, and laughter he worked to children in world thanks to his portrayal of Count von Count, Herry Monster, Fat Blue, Sherlock Hemlock, Mumford incredible and a lot extra loved characters. We will miss her wonderful spirit and the joy he brought to our street. '
Nelson, who was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but grew up in Washington, DC, began his career under the tutelage of puppeteer Bil Baird (famous for creating Charlemane Leo and performance in the movie The Sound of Music) before joining Jim Henson, another trainee Baird in the 1960s.
Nelson has bowed out of the Muppets in 2004 for health reasons, but cursed his most celebrated character, Count von Count....
