Bob McGrath
Overview
 
Robert Emmet "Bob" McGrath (born June 13, 1932) is an American singer and actor best known for playing the human character Bob on Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...

. He was born in Ottawa, Illinois
Ottawa, Illinois
Ottawa is a city located at the confluence of the Illinois River and Fox River in LaSalle County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 18,786...

. McGrath was named for Irish patriot Robert Emmet
Robert Emmet
Robert Emmet was an Irish nationalist and Republican, orator and rebel leader born in Dublin, Ireland...

.

Along with Susan, played by Loretta Long
Loretta Long
Loretta Long is an American actress best known for playing Susan Robinson on Sesame Street, having starred on the show since its debut in 1969....

, Bob has been one of the two longest lasting human characters on the series. A Noggin segment proclaimed the four decades of Bob when promoting Sesame Street on that network.

McGrath has said that his two favorite moments on Sesame Street were a spoof of The Gift of the Magi
The Gift of the Magi
"The Gift of the Magi" is a short story written by O. Henry , about a young married couple and how they deal with the challenge of buying secret Christmas gifts for each other with very little money...

on a Christmas special, and the 1983 sequence that candidly addressed the death of longtime character Mr.
 
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