Brian Jay Jones - Jim Henson: The Biography

Copyright 2013 by Brian Jay Jones

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Ballantine Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House LLC, New York, a Penguin Random House Company.

B ALLANTINE and the H OUSE colophon are registered trademarks of Random House LLC.

T HE M UPPETS and associated characters, trademarks, and designed elements are owned by Disney Muppet Studios. Copyright Disney. All rights reserved.

Sesame Workshop, Sesame Street and associated characters, trademarks and design elements are owned and licensed by Sesame Workshop.
2013 Sesame Workshop. All rights reserved.

Grateful acknowledgment is made to the following for permission to reprint previously published material:

Alfred Publishing Co., Inc.: Just One Person (from the musical Snoopy), lyrics by Hal Hackady, music by Larry Grossman, copyright 1976 (Renewed) Unichappell Music, Inc. All rights reserved.
Used by permission of Alfred Publishing Co., Inc.

The Joe Raposo Music Group, Inc.: Its Not Easy Bein Green, music and lyrics by Joe Raposo, copyright 1970 by Jonico Music, Inc., and copyright renewed 1998 by Green Fox Music, Inc. Used by permission of The Joe Raposo Music Group, Inc.

Credits for the photographs that appear at chapter openers can be found on .

L IBRARY OF C ONGRESS C ATALOGING - IN -P UBLICATION D ATA
Jones, Brian Jay.
Jim Henson : the biography / Brian Jay Jones.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
eISBN: 978-0-345-52613-7
1. Henson, Jim. 2. PuppeteersUnited StatesBiography. 3. Television producers and directorsUnited StatesBiography. 4. Muppet Show (Television program)
5. Sesame Street (Television program) I. Title.
PN1982.H46J66 2013
791.430233092dc23
[B] 2013024039

www.ballantinebooks.com

v3.1

CONTENTS

()

J IM H ENSON SLOWLY FOLDED HIMSELF INTO A COUCH INSIDE R EEVES Teletape Studio, sliding down, as he often did, until he was nearly horizontal, his shaggy head against the back cushions and his long legs stretched out in front of him. As always, Jim was the calm in the middle of the chaos, sitting quietly as studio technicians and crew members whirled around him, adjusting lights and bustling about the background sets for Sesame Streets Muppet segments. Jim simply lounged, hands folded across his stomach, fingers laced together. Draped limply across his lap was the green fleece form of Kermit the Frog, staring lifelessly at the floor, mouth agape.

Jim and Kermit were waiting.

In the five years Sesame Street had been on the air, many of its most memorable moments involved children interacting with the Muppets. And while all of the Muppet performers were good with children, most agreed that it was Kermit children believed in and trusted completelymostly because they completely believed in and trusted Jim Henson. Jimand therefore Kermithad a natural sweetness, a reassuring patience, and a willingness to indulge sillinessand the resulting interaction could be pure magic. Even as Jim sat waiting, then, there was, as always, a buzz of anticipation.

Sesame Street director Jon Stonea warm bear of a man with an easy smilestrolled the set, the end of a chewed pencil sticking out of his salt-and-pepper beard. Blue sky! he said loudlya signal that a child was present on the set, a coded reminder that the normally boisterous Muppet performers and crew should watch their language. There was actually little chance of Jim himself swearingnormally his epithets were nothing stronger than Oh, for heavens sake!but with the cue that his young costar, a little girl named Joey, had arrived, Jim slowly unfolded himself and rose to his full six-foot-one height.

Casually, Jim pulled Kermit onto his right arm, slightly parting his thumb from his fingers as he slid his hand into the frogs mouth, then smoothed the long green sleeve from Kermits body down over his elbow. He brought the frogs face up toward his own, tilting the head slightlyand suddenly, Kermit was magically alive, sizing up Jim with eyes that seemed to widen or narrow as Jim arched or clenched his fingers inside Kermits head.

While Sesame Streets Muppet sets were usually elevated on stilts some six feet off the floormaking it possible for puppeteers to perform while standingno child would ever be placed at such a perilous height. Instead, Joeyin a pink striped shirt, with her long blond hair tied at the top of her headwas moved into position on a stool while Jim knelt on the floor next to her. Slowly he raised Kermit up beside her, eying the Muppets position on a video monitor in front of his crouched knees. Joeys eyes locked immediately on Kermit. The frog was no mere puppet; Kermit was real.

Rolleeoleeoleeyo! called out Stoneand as tape began to roll, Joey was already patting and petting Kermit lovingly.

Hey, can you sing the alphabet, Joey? asked Kermit.

Yes, said Joey, nodding earnestly, yes, I could.

Lets hear you sing the alphabet.

A B C D sang Joey, and Jim bopped Kermit along in time to the familiar Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star melody, bouncing the frogs head back and forth. E F, continued Joeythen instead of G, she substituted Cookie Monster! and giggled at her own joke.

All eyes in the studio were on the frog, waiting to see what Jim would do.

Jim reacted instantly, arching his long fingers inside Kermit to give him a surprised expression. Then he turned the frog, in a classic slow burn, toward the still-giggling Joey. Youre not singin the alphabet! Kermit said cheerily, and began the song again. Joey sang along eagerly, this time gliding past the letter G without incident, and stumbling only slightly through the troublesome quintet of LMNOP.

Joey patted Kermit lightly, unable to keep her hands off the slightly fuzzy Muppet. Q R Cookie Monster! she sang, and broke down in another fit of giggles.

Jim pressed his thumb and fingers tightly together inside Kermits head, giving the frog a brief look of mock irritation. Then he arched his hand back upward, returning Kermits expression to one of mild surprise. Joey tilted her head slightly and giggled directly into Kermits eyes. She believed in him completely.

Cookie Monster isnt a letter of the alphabet! said Kermit helpfully. It goes, Q R S

T U Cookie Monster! Joey exploded into giggles, clenching her hands in front of her.

For a moment, Jim nearly broke character. He snickered slightly. Yuh-youre just teasing me! he finally said in Kermits voice, and the two of them began singing together again. W X Y and Z

Joey briefly placed her hand on Kermits shoulder as they entered the refrain. Now Ive sung my ABCs the two of them sang.

next time Cookie Monster! Joey erupted, and broke down in giggles again.

Next time, Cookie Monster can do it with you! griped Kermit. Im leaving! Jim pulled Kermits face into a mild grimaceand with a groan of exasperation skulked the frog away, out of camera shot.

Joey stared after him. I love you, she said, matter-of-factly.