# Jerry Nelson, Sesame Street's The Count, confirmed dead \[updated title\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 24, 2012, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerry-nelson-sesame-streets-the-count-confirmed-dead-updated-title/632488 "2012-08-24T14:28:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerry-nelson-sesame-streets-the-count-confirmed-dead-updated-title/632488/1 "2012-08-24T14:28:35Z")
There are no news articles yet, but my husband’s contact in the world of puppetry (no, really) says that Jerry Nelson, voice of Sesame Street’s The Count as well as numerous other characters on Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, and Fraggle Rock, died yesterday. His Wikipedia page reports his death but doesn’t have “confirmation” either. Ah ah ah \<–crying ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Righteous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Dr.Righteous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Righteous)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerry-nelson-sesame-streets-the-count-confirmed-dead-updated-title/632488/2 "2012-08-24T14:51:06Z")
My friend who is a puppeteer says the same. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerry-nelson-sesame-streets-the-count-confirmed-dead-updated-title/632488/3 "2012-08-24T15:05:23Z")
☹ Say hi to Jim, Jerry. ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerry-nelson-sesame-streets-the-count-confirmed-dead-updated-title/632488/4 "2012-08-24T15:06:29Z")
Oh how awful. I found out this morning. _cue lightning crash_ Damn, what a sad thing to wake up to. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerry-nelson-sesame-streets-the-count-confirmed-dead-updated-title/632488/5 "2012-08-24T15:13:21Z")
He was also “Fat Blue”, Grover’s eternal customer at the restaurant. And Herry Monster, one of my favorites. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerry-nelson-sesame-streets-the-count-confirmed-dead-updated-title/632488/6 "2012-08-24T15:20:04Z")
☹ ☹ ☹ Somebody put Frank Oz somewhere safe before it’s too late… ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerry-nelson-sesame-streets-the-count-confirmed-dead-updated-title/632488/7 "2012-08-24T15:22:05Z")
> [@fiddlesticks](#): > > He was also “Fat Blue”, Grover’s eternal customer at the restaurant. No! I love that guy! [Here’s wikipedia’s source.](http://www.toughpigs.com/jerry-nelson-1934-2012/) ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerry-nelson-sesame-streets-the-count-confirmed-dead-updated-title/632488/8 "2012-08-24T15:32:24Z")
Sad news. Besides The Count, he was also Emmet Otter, Gobo Fraggle, Herry Monster, and the Trash Heap. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerry-nelson-sesame-streets-the-count-confirmed-dead-updated-title/632488/9 "2012-08-24T15:34:08Z")
> [@fiddlesticks](#): > > He was also “Fat Blue”, Grover’s eternal customer at the restaurant. And Herry Monster, one of my favorites. And Lew Zealand, known for his boomerang fish act. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerry-nelson-sesame-streets-the-count-confirmed-dead-updated-title/632488/10 "2012-08-24T15:46:46Z")
Don’t forget Floyd Pepper, as well as being the first main performer for Snuffy (though he only stayed on him until '78). And my favourite of his characters, [Uncle Deadly](http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Uncle_Deadly). ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerry-nelson-sesame-streets-the-count-confirmed-dead-updated-title/632488/11 "2012-08-24T15:53:53Z")
He was also Herry Monster and the announcer for The Muppets. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerry-nelson-sesame-streets-the-count-confirmed-dead-updated-title/632488/12 "2012-08-24T15:54:25Z")
Undead, surely. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerry-nelson-sesame-streets-the-count-confirmed-dead-updated-title/632488/13 "2012-08-24T15:57:34Z")
He was a guest one year at a big party a friend of mine throws. She told me of his doing the Count voice, counting all the children at the party. Counted by the Count. RIP. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerry-nelson-sesame-streets-the-count-confirmed-dead-updated-title/632488/14 "2012-08-24T17:20:06Z")
Floyd Pepper has long been one of my favorite Muppets, I was even Floyd Pepper for a Muppet Costume Party in highschool. [Here he is performing “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WspowxpZOlY) ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerry-nelson-sesame-streets-the-count-confirmed-dead-updated-title/632488/15 "2012-08-24T17:32:35Z")
[Posted on the Jim Henson Company Facebook Page:](http://www.facebook.com/hensoncompany) [QUOTE=Lisa Henson, CEO The Jim Henson Company] Jerry Nelson imbued all his characters with the same gentle, sweet whimsy and kindness that were a part of his own personality. He joined The Jim Henson Company in the earliest years, and his unique contributions to the worlds of Fraggles, Muppets, Sesame Street and so many others are, and will continue to be, unforgettable. On behalf of the Henson family and everyone at The Jim Henson Company, our deepest sympathies go out to Jerry’s family and to his many fans. [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerry-nelson-sesame-streets-the-count-confirmed-dead-updated-title/632488/16 "2012-08-24T18:04:07Z")
I have updated the thread title to reflect the fact that the news has been confirmed. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerry-nelson-sesame-streets-the-count-confirmed-dead-updated-title/632488/17 "2012-08-24T18:11:07Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > I have updated the thread title to reflect the fact that the news has been confirmed. Thanks for the quick action. I had to tell my friend, and she was sad that she missed seeing him one last time, but I got the impression that this was not unexpected. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerry-nelson-sesame-streets-the-count-confirmed-dead-updated-title/632488/18 "2012-08-24T18:23:09Z")
He was also Robin the Frog, and Emmett Otter. He was very good at signing while in character. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerry-nelson-sesame-streets-the-count-confirmed-dead-updated-title/632488/19 "2012-08-24T18:26:23Z")
You know that I was called the Count… Because I really loved to count… RIP, Jerry. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerry-nelson-sesame-streets-the-count-confirmed-dead-updated-title/632488/20 "2012-08-24T19:19:51Z")
[One of my favorite Floyd bits.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyHQQsuZWVk&feature=related) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jerry-nelson-sesame-streets-the-count-confirmed-dead-updated-title/632488.md?page=2)