Sesame Street 'Oscar the Grouch' and 'Big Bird' puppeteer Caroll Spinney has died at age 85
Robin Marchant/Getty Images for SiriusXM
- Caroll Spinney, known for voicing Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch in his nearly 50-year career on "Sesame Street," died at the age of 85.
- Spinney began voicing the two major Muppets from their inception in 1969 when he was 36, and performed them almost exclusively into his 80s on the kids' television show before retiring in 2018.
- "I may be the most unknown famous person in America," Spinney said in his 2003 memoir. "It's the bird that's famous."
- Visit INSIDER's homepage for more stories.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Caroll Spinney, who gave Big Bird his warmth and Oscar the Grouch his growl for nearly 50 years on "Sesame Street," died Sunday at the age of 85 at his home in Connecticut, according to the Sesame Workshop.
The Sesame Workshop said in a statement that the legendary puppeteer lived for some time with dystonia, which causes involuntary muscle contractions.See the rest of the story at Business Insider
NOW WATCH: Here's how to escape a flooding vehicle
See Also: