Wait! Now You’re Telling Me Big Bird Is Not Real Too?
Sorry again! It’s really a man named Caroll Spinney. Actually, Mr. Spinney retired a few years back, but he was the original Big Bird and Oscar The Grouch.
Here’s an NPR interview with him…he’s 81 now. Enjoy and share!
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1249919
Audrey Meadows…Her Television Debut With ‘Bob & Ray’ After appearing on the Broadway stage with Phil Silvers in ‘Top Banana’, Audrey and her friend Cloris Leachman each got a casting on NBC’s ‘Bob And Ray’ television show in 1951. At the link above, you’ll see her as Linda Lovely…a recurring role she played on the […]
Television In Simpler Times… Covering the Inglewood Christmas parade November 23, 1962, here’s a KTTV RCA TK30 equipped with a Taylor Hobson Varotal Field Lens. Having been the Los Angeles Dodgers station since their move there in 1958, the station had a lot of remote equipment and a staff experienced in putting cameras together on […]
Final SNL Rarity…The 8H Announce Booth HAPPY 40TH ANNIVERSARY SNL! If you are standing on the SNL homebase stage, the announce booth would be on your right, up under the bleechers. Although the interior of the booth has changed over the years, the main occupant didn’t until last month when we lost Don Pardo. This […]
That’s One Small Step For Man… Leading up to the July 16, 1969 launch of Apollo 11, and continuing through their July 24th return, the eyes of the entire world were fixed on the three men seen here in a live interview with an unknown network. From left to right is Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong […]
We taped Sesame Street at Unitel’s 55th Street Studio in the 80’s and early 90’s. Great people.
A ham radio friend of mine was audio on that show. In 1970 I was in high school and he invited me to go to the Teletape studios see the production of show #125. I watched Carroll Spinney resting his arm (BB’s neck) on a crew member’s neck between takes. Funny to see BB crying.
My friend actually got paid to do this. I immediately knew that this is what I wanted to do for my career. And it happened.
He is good friends with our Florida friends!
I was able to visit Reeves Teletape in ’70, to watch a Sesame Street taping, and watched all these guys in action. Spinny could barely see out, so there is a tiny monitor on his chest. He was looking down all the time! Believe they were using Marconi cameras there at the time,…
Sorry but BIG BIRD & OSCAR are real! I do not believe your information!!
It’s my old friend, Carroll Spinney! I remember seeing him ride to the studio on his bicycle. Since he wasn’t a ‘star’ worked hidden inside a giant yellow bird, he could travel anywhere around town without anyone knowing who he was! Spinney was the greatest.
Here’s Carroll and me in 1980 on the SS set:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dennisdegan/4664175431/
Yes, when Reeves closed Sesame St. shot at Unitel 55th.
Dennis, did Rolf Wahl, the engineer at 55th St come with the show to Unitel from Reeves?
Mr. Spinney has not retired and still brings life & voice to Big Bird & Oscar !!
With Big Bird at Kaufman Astoria Studios, mid 90s
My brother and I on the 30th anniversary special at Sony Music Studios