Jim Henson’s Memorial Service
Louise Gold was one of the puppeteers who took part in
the public memorial service for that great puppeteer Jim Henson (24 September
1936 to 16 May 1990), a The Cathedral
Church of St John The Devine, in
The event has often
been referred to by internet Muppet fans as a ‘Funeral Service’, but should in
fact be referred to as a ‘Memorial Service’ (that’s something your webmaster
wasn’t aware of until constructing this webpage).
Participants
Pam Arciero, Harry Belafonte, Camille Bonora, Fran Brill,
Bernie Brillstein, Kevin Clash, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band,
Running Order
1. The Rainbow Connection – Church organ
2.
3. The Choir Sings – The Church choir
4. Let Us Prey - Clergy
5. Speach & Letters From Children – Read
by Richard Hunt (possibly with
others)
6. speech – Jerry
Juhl (Muppet Head Writer)
7. When The River Meets The Sea (song) – sung by Jerry
Nelson and Louise Gold
(Muppeteers – but this time just as themselves)
8. Speech – by Allelu Kurten (UNIMA General Secretary)
9. Speech – by Duncan Kenworthy (film producer)
10. Speech – by Harry Belafonte (singer)
11. Turn The World Around – sung by Harry Belafonte, with everybody in the congregation waving
butterflies on rods
12. speech – Frank
Oz (including a tale about a Christmas gift Jim Henson once gave him)
13. The Rainbow Connection - recording played, more butterflies
fluttered
14. speech –
Jon Stone (
15. Bein’ Green – sung by Caroll Spinney (as Big Bird)
16. Speech – by Bernie Brillstein,
17. Speech – by
18. Fearless Leader (a poem) – read by Jerry Nelson (as Floyd Pepper)
19. Bring Him Home (from Les Miserables) – sung by
Louise Gold
Religious Texts
20. Jim Henson’s Spirit –
read by several priests
21. Jim Henson’s Eulogy –
read by several priests
22. The Choir Sings – The Choir
Jim Henson’s Letters (for his funeral)
23. Introductory Speech – Jane
Henson
24. Jim Henson’s Letters Read – read by
Cheryl Henson, and, Brian Henson.
25. Speech –
Richard Hunt
Muppet Songs
26. The Cutest Little Baby Face – sung
by Kevin Clash, Dave Goelz, Richard Hunt,
Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz, and, Steve Whitmire
27.
28. It’s In every One Of Us – sung by Jerry Nelson (as Robin) and The Muppeteers
29. Simon Smith And His Amazing Dancing Bear –
sung by Richard Hunt (as Scooter),
and, Frank Oz (as Fozzie)
30. Halfway Down The Stairs – sung by Jerry Nelson (as Robin)
21. Cottleston Pie – Sung by Frank Oz (as Fozzie)
22. I’m Going To Go Back Their Someday – sung
by Dave Goelz (as Gonzo)
23. Wemblin; Fool – sung by Jerry Nelson (as Gobo Fraggle), and, Steve Whitmire (as Wembley Fraggle)
24. You Are My Sunshine – sung by Jerry Nelson (as Hoots The
Owl) & The Muppets
25. Just One Person – sung by sixteen puppeteers (each with
one of their famous characters) namely (from right to left at the alter rail): Richard Hunt (with Scooter), Jerry Nelson (with Gobo Fraggle), Steve Whitmire (with Wembley Fraggle, Kevin Clash (with Elmo), Frank Oz (with Fozzie Bear), Louise Gold (with Annie Sue Pig), Dave Goelz (with Gonzo The Great), Pam Arciero (with Grungetta), Marty Robinson (with Telly Monster), Caroll Spinney (with Oscar The Grouch),
Kathy Mullen (with Mokey Fraggle), David Rudman (with Boo Monster [from
Little Muppet Monsters]), Fran Brill
(with Prarie Dawn), Camille Bonora
(with Meryl Sheep), Mike Quinn (with
a generic Penguin, and,
19. Closing Ceremony (Into Your Hands) – a
Bishop
20 When The Saints Go Marching In – played
by The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Another memorial
service was held at
British Puppeteer, Louise Gold can be spotted among the
other notable puppeteers in the CNN News
footage of Jim Henson’s Memorial Service. Both actually puppeteering (with
Annie Sue Pig on her arm), and also in a crowd shot or two (where she is
standing near Frank Oz, looking
tearful).
Jim Henson had requested that
at his memorial no one wear black. Needless to say some of his TMS colleagues
took this to heart. Steve Whitmire
wore a bright green (Kermit The Frog coloured) suit, while Louise Gold wore a bright red dress.
Some footage, of Harry
Belafonte performing Turn The World Around at the
memorial service has found its way onto a DVD as an Extra bit on a DVD of Harry Belafonte, Linda Rondstadt and John
Denver’s performances on The Muppet
Show..
Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Dave Goelz,
Louise Gold, Steve Whitmire, and, Kathy
Mullen were along with Jim Henson
himself the eight main puppeteers on The Muppet
Show, on which Fran Brill,
and,
Pam Arciero, Camille Bonora, Fran Brill, Kevin Clash,
Louise Gold, Richard Hunt, Jerry Nelson,
Frank Oz, and, Marty Robinson’s recording credits include on Born To Add.
Pam Arciero, Camille Bonora, Fran Brill, Kevin Clash,
Louise Gold, Richard Hunt, Jerry Nelson,
Frank Oz, Marty Robinson, David Rudman,
and, Caroll Spinney’s recording
credits include Elmo’s Lowdown Hoedown.
Pam Arciero, Camille Bonora, Fran Brill, Kevin Clash,
Louise Gold, Richard Hunt, Jerry Nelson,
and, Marty Robinson’s recording
credits include The Count’s Countdown.
However there has been some debate as to whether or not Louise Gold actually sang this.
Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Dave Goelz,
and, Louise Gold took part in The Royal Variety Performance
(1977), as did Harry Belafonte.
Kevin Clash, Dave Goelz, Brian Henson, Cheryl Henson,
Kathy Mullen, Frank Oz,
Kevin Clash, Dave Goelz, Louise Gold, Richard Hunt,
Kathy Mullen, Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz,
and, Steve Whitmire’s recording
credits include Muppet Music Sampler.
Kevin Clash, Dave Goelz, Louise Gold, Richard Hunt,
Kathy Mullen, Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz,
Kevin Clash, Louise Gold, Richard Hunt,
Kevin Clash, Dave Goelz, Louise Gold, John Henson,
Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz, Mike Quinn,
and, Steve Whitmire went on to
puppeteer on Muppet Treasure Island,
which Brian Henson directed and
Dave Goelz, Louise Gold, Brian Henson, Richard Hunt,
Kathy Mullen, Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz, Mike Quinn, Caroll Spinney, and, Steve
Whitmire had puppeteered on The Great
Muppet Caper, which Lisa Henson
got her started in the film business on and
Dave Goelz, Louise Gold, Richard Hunt, Kathy Mullen,
Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz, and, Steve
Whitmire’s recording credits include The Great Muppet Caper (Soundtrack
album), and John
Denver And The Muppets A Christmas Together (which had included a version
of When
The River Meets The Sea, and, It’s In Every One Of Us), both of
which
Dave Goelz, Louise Gold, Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz,
Dave Goelz, Louise Gold, Richard Hunt, Jerry Nelson,
and, Frank Oz’s recording credits
include The Muppet Show Music Hall,
and, Jim Henson Presents Silly
Songs.
Dave Goelz, Louise Gold, Richard Hunt, Jerry Nelson,
and, Frank Oz ’s recording credits
include The Muppet Show 2, which Jerry Juhl was also involved with.
Excerpts from that album were on For What It’s
Worth.
Dave Goelz, Louise Gold, Richard Hunt, Kathy Mullen,
Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz, and Steve Whitmire
’s recording credits include The Muppet
Show Music Album, which Jerry Juhl
was also involved with.
Dave Goelz, Louise Gold, Richard Hunt, Kathy Mullen,
Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz, Mike Quinn,
and, Steve Whitmire had puppeteered
on The Muppets Go To The Movies,
with which Jerry Juhl was also
involved.
Dave Goelz, Louise Gold, Kathy Mullen, Frank Oz, Mike Quinn, and, Steve Whitmire had puppeteered on The
Dark Craystal, which Cheryl Henson,
and, Duncan Kenworthy were also
involved with, and for which Jerry
Nelson did voice work.
Louise Gold, and, Mike Quinn had puppeteered on The UK
Co-Production of Fraggle Rock, for which Dave Goelz, and, Jerry Nelson did voice-work.
Dave Goelz, Louise Gold, Richard Hunt, Kathy Mullen,
Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz,
Dave Goelz, Louise Gold, Richard Hunt, Kathy Mullen,
Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz, and, Steve
Whitmire’s recording credits include: John Denver & The
Muppets Merry Christmas 45RPM, Muppet Hits 1
(on which Richard Hunt and Frank Oz sang Simon Smith And His Amazing
Dancing Bear), Muppet Hits 2, Christmas
For Kids, John Denver Christmas, and, Music Mayhem And More (on which Richard Hunt and Frank Oz sang Simon Smith And His Amazing Dancing Bear)..
Dave Goelz, Louise Gold, Brian Henson, Jerry Nelson,
Frank Oz,
Dave Goelz, and, Louise Gold, went on to puppeteer on The Animal Show, on which Frank Oz made a guest puppeteering appearance, and, with which Brian Henson was also involved with.
Brian Henson appeared on
the documentary Inside The Labyrinth,
and was also involved with Mopatop’s Shop.
Louise Gold, Richard Hunt, Kathy Mullen, Jerry Nelson,
and, Steve Whitmire had appeared in “a burlesque show with some of the Muppet
company”.
Louise Gold, and, Jerry Nelson’s recording credits
include Jerome Kern The First 100
Years.
Louise Gold, and, Mike Quinn had appeared in an item
about The Dark Crystal on Blue Peter.
Marty Robinson had
puppeteered on Spitting Image, a programme for
which Louise Gold was the original
Leading Puppeteer.
Dave Goelz, Louise Gold, Jerry Nelson,
Louise Gold, Richard Hunt,
Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz, Louise Gold, and, Mike Quinn
went on to puppeteer on The Secret Life
Of Toys.
Dave Goelz, Louise Gold, Richard Hunt, Jerry Juhl,
Kathryn Mullen, Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz,
and, Steve Whitmire had featured in
the documentary Of Muppets And Men, on
which
Brian Henson appeared in
the documentary The Wonderful
World Of Puppets.
Fourteen years later, Louise Gold sang at Hubert
Gregg’s Memorial Service.
Pam
Arcerio, Camille Bonora, Fran Brill, Kevin Clash, Dave Goelz,
Louise Gold, Kathryn Mullen Jerry Nelson,
Frank Oz, Marty P. Robinson, David
Rudman, Caroll Spinney, and, Steve Whitmire went on to puppeteer
together on Sesame Street during the early 1990s, on
which the writer Jon Stone also
worked. Of course some of them already had worked on Sesame
Street before. But at least three of them did not work on Sesame
Street until afterwards.
Critics Comments
.
Links about Jim
Henson’s Memorial Service
Chris Barry’s account of
the service: http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/chris_barry/archive/2005/09/08/1722.aspx (a pretty through description, giving the
running order etc).
On The Road
With David (a Muppet-Inspired Circus performer)’s page about watching the CNN News
footage Jim Henson’s Funeral on television http://www.ontheroadwithdavid.com/OnTheRoad/Henson.htm (includes some pictures from the service,
including one of the 16 puppeteers singing at the alter rail – spot Steve
Whitmire and Louise Gold in their bright clothing)
Muppet Musique’s page for the service (gives a slightly
fuller description then the others): http://www.mystacor.com/muppet_musique/jhms/jhms.html
TVDVD Reviews.com: http://www.tvdvdreviews.com/muppet2.html
Muppet Central Thread http://forum.muppetcentral.com/archive/index.php/t-13024.html (it clarifies a few points concerning the fact that the public service
should be referred to as a ‘Jim Henson’s Memorial Service’, rather than ‘Jim
Henson’s Funeral service’.).
Newsgroup Thread citing Chris Barry’s
excellent account of the service: http://groups.google.co.uk/group/alt.tv.sesame-street/browse_thread/thread/b3d5b9a7511740c6/4aedad8db8dd6571?lnk=st&q=&rnum=5&hl=en#4aedad8db8dd6571
rec.arts.henson+muppet Threads
(the ones that managed to referred to Mike Quinn as performing a “Geriatric
Penguin”: http://groups.google.co.uk/group/rec.arts.henson+muppets/browse_thread/thread/2f01ecf71fe75601/b0d55ff922443028?lnk=st&q=&rnum=1&hl=en#b0d55ff922443028 and http://groups.google.co.uk/group/rec.arts.henson+muppets/browse_thread/thread/e51e36e5c493077b/fec069901d2241f3?lnk=st&q=&rnum=1&hl=en#fec069901d2241f3 (The earlier link includes a list of who 15 of the 16 puppeteers doing
Just One Person were)
Muppet Wiki, section for the New York
Memorial service: http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Jim_Henson%27s_Memorial
Muppet Wiki, picture of some of the
puppeteers taking part in the service: http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Memorialmuppets.jpg
Muppet Wiki, picture of Jerry and Louise singing as themselves at the
service http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Jerrylouisememorial.jpg
