These clips are pretty old, but they really hit me when I found the first one posted on BoingBoing earlier today – highlights from the memorial when Jim Henson passed away back in 1990. The first one of Big Bird singing It’s Not Easy Being Green was bad enough, but listening to Frank Oz – the voice of Bert (to Henson’s Ernie), along with Fozzie, Miss Piggy, Grover, Yoda – talk about his friend’s traits was amazing. And the final number that featured a collection of Henson’s favorite songs sung by all of the Muppet performers … just wow. I’m Going to Go Back There Some Day is my favorite of all songs to appear in any of his work, even over The Rainbow Connection, but when more and more performers and their characters kept appearing at the end of Just One Person, that was it for me…
Big Bird Singing It’s Not Easy Being Green
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0ZdLBqSz8Q
Frank Oz Talks About His Dear Friend
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Geccx-CnSS4&feature=related
All-Star Tribute to Jim Henson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ3Q-Qw9jCQ
Along with Walt Disney, Jim Henson is probably the other creative genius whom I would’ve loved to share a lunch with had he not passed away long before his time. Say what you will about where the brand is headed today, but the man was a pioneer in the entertainment world and an inspiration to us all.