Kermit Love, co-creator of "Big Bird" dies at 91.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/24/arts/24love.html?_r=1&oref=slogin


Sounds like an interesting guy with an interesting life. RIP.

Kermit Love, the costume designer for some of ballet’s most renowned choreographers whose greatest fame came as a creator, with Jim Henson, of the beloved “Sesame Street” characters Big Bird and Mr. Snuffleupagus, died on Saturday in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. He was 91 and lived in Stanfordville, N.Y.

The cause was congestive heart failure, said Christopher Lyall, Mr. Love’s partner of 50 years.

Although Mr. Love collaborated with luminaries of dance like George Balanchine, Agnes de Mille, Robert Joffrey, Jerome Robbins and Twyla Tharp, it was the 8-foot-2, yellow-feathered Big Bird and his 7-foot, woolly mammoth-like friend Mr. Snuffleupagus — both perennially 6 years old — that brought him global attention.

“For Kermit, the costume was just the beginning,” said Kevin Clash, who is now senior puppet coordinator for “Sesame Street” and considers Mr. Love his mentor. “He taught how to create the character out of the costume.”

A lot of really awesome people are passing away this week.
Thanks for the memories, Kermit. :hi:
Duckie

named after him. That was my first reaction, too, since Kermit is hardly a common name.

named after him. That was my first reaction, too, since Kermit is hardly a common name.

with those costumes, he brought happiness to so many.

They had curtains on the sides of the stage area that went all the way up to the top of the arena. We had to keep the little kids from going past the curtains, otherwise if they saw the backstage area they would see Big Bird hanging in the air. That's because he was so large that they would lower the costume down on the actor. It was fun working those concerts, seeing so many kids having such a good time, mesmerized by the Sesame Street characters.