I was saddened last night to learn of the passing of Muppet performer Jerry Nelson, whose immeasurable talents brought to life such characters as The Count, Floyd Pepper, Emmett Otter, and Gobo Fraggle. I had the great pleasure of interviewing Jerry at his home in Cape Cod earlier this year — an absolute thrill — and he was a lovely, thoughtful man who loved what he did. Like millions — yes, I said millions — around the world, I’ll miss him.
I’m on the road at the moment — perhaps fittingly, I spent the morning in the Sesame Workshop archives — but I’ll post a bit more about Jerry on my return. Until then, here’s Jerry performing with Jim Henson in one of my very favorite bits: the yip-yipping Martians, as they make first contact with an Earth telephone. (Jerry is the pink Martian…)
