# Muppeteer Caroll Spinney dead at 85
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppeteer-caroll-spinney-dead-at-85/844560
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Tags:** celebrity-death
**Created:** [December 8, 2019, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppeteer-caroll-spinney-dead-at-85/844560 "2019-12-08T18:30:36Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2019, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppeteer-caroll-spinney-dead-at-85/844560/1 "2019-12-08T18:30:36Z")
The puppeteer and voice of Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch from their creation in 1969 until his retirement last year [has passed on](https://tvline.com/2019/12/08/sesame-street-caroll-spinney-dies-big-bird-oscar-grouch-puppeteer/).
Big Bird can say hi to Mr Hooper again…
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### Author:  [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2019, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppeteer-caroll-spinney-dead-at-85/844560/2 "2019-12-08T18:44:26Z")
I was just about to post that.
I was too old for Sesame Street (I thought) when we came back from overseas, but I’ve seen so many specials on it, and in a cast of special people, Big Bird stood out.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2019, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppeteer-caroll-spinney-dead-at-85/844560/3 "2019-12-08T19:25:50Z")
Wow. My kids, like so many others, grew up on those voices, and I watched it with them.
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2019, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppeteer-caroll-spinney-dead-at-85/844560/4 "2019-12-08T20:15:43Z")
I had just seen this. He was awesome. The Muppeteer I knew the third best.
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### Author:  [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2019, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppeteer-caroll-spinney-dead-at-85/844560/5 "2019-12-08T20:26:06Z")
Im sad he’s gone. And happy he lived so long. But being blown up on the space shuttle is THE way to go if you ask me.
> **[NASA Confirms Talks to Fly Big Bird on Doomed Shuttle Challenger](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna353521)**
>
> NASA has confirmed reports that space officials discussed putting Big Bird on the space shuttle Challenger before its loss in 1986.
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### Author:  [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2019, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppeteer-caroll-spinney-dead-at-85/844560/6 "2019-12-08T21:07:06Z")
I remember how moving it was to see Big Bird do a solo at Jim Henson’s funeral. You can’t see the person inside, but still the movements showed how he felt.
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrZyMptC2eQ)
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### Author:  [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2019, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppeteer-caroll-spinney-dead-at-85/844560/7 "2019-12-08T22:22:40Z")
I was having such a nice day until I saw this news.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2019, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppeteer-caroll-spinney-dead-at-85/844560/8 "2019-12-08T23:01:21Z")
Wow, the Challenger disaster was devastating enough as it was-- I can’t even imagine what it would have been like if Big Bird had been aboard.