Belgian jazz musician Toots Thielemans has died at the age of 94, his manager has said.
He was widely regarded as one of the world's top harmonica players and was well known for appearing on the Sesame Street and Midnight Cowboy themes.
The musician's real name was Jean-Baptiste Thielemans but he was known affectionately as Toots.
He died in his sleep at a hospital in Brussels, his manager Veerle Van de Poel told AFP.

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-37153355

If he has done the Sesame Street theme on the harmonica for 47 years, then that's pretty intense. But considering this is coming from a person who regularly stopped watching Sesame Street at age 4, it doesn't really matter to me so much.

Belgian jazz musician Toots Thielemans has died at the age of 94, his manager has said.
He was widely regarded as one of the world's top harmonica players and was well known for appearing on the Sesame Street and Midnight Cowboy themes.
The musician's real name was Jean-Baptiste Thielemans but he was known affectionately as Toots.
He died in his sleep at a hospital in Brussels, his manager Veerle Van de Poel told AFP.

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-37153355
This haunting harmonica playing from Midnight Cowboy.

8e-HNqLodM4

:\'(

Belgian jazz musician Toots Thielemans has died at the age of 94, his manager has said.
He was widely regarded as one of the world's top harmonica players and was well known for appearing on the Sesame Street and Midnight Cowboy themes.
The musician's real name was Jean-Baptiste Thielemans but he was known affectionately as Toots.
He died in his sleep at a hospital in Brussels, his manager Veerle Van de Poel told AFP.

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-37153355


His death came as a shock to me, even though he was already 94. A great loss to the music industry, but thankfully his legacy lives on.

In The Netherlands, he is best known for his contributions to the movie "Turks Fruit" (Turkish Delight - 1973, starring Rutger Hauer among others) and the tv series "Baantjer" that originally ran from 1995 to 2006, but still is being rerun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BF5-qHKGtWY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_K3lsoKVos



And let's not forget he did not just play the harmonica! He initially also played guitar, although he had to give this up following a stroke in 1981.
His 1962 composition "Bluesette" is a famous example of his earlier works. It has been performed by many other musicians since.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oi4G6UmYK9U

Belgian jazz musician Toots Thielemans has died at the age of 94, his manager has said.
He was widely regarded as one of the world's top harmonica players and was well known for appearing on the Sesame Street and Midnight Cowboy themes.
The musician's real name was Jean-Baptiste Thielemans but he was known affectionately as Toots.
He died in his sleep at a hospital in Brussels, his manager Veerle Van de Poel told AFP.

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-37153355


I grew up with Sesame Street and towards the end of the show I would hear the end theme and I'd play along. :\'(

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K_SD2GWEHE

"Sesame Street was a production of The Children's Television Workshop".
http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/muppet/images/a/a5/Groversesamesign.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110807230317

RIP, Toots.

RIP, Toots.


LB, you remember watching Sesame Street?  ???

LB, you remember watching Sesame Street?  ???


Barely. I was just a little too old for that.

Barely. I was just a little too old for that.


I wish that were the case for me. It sucks that I had to grow up with Elmo as a toddler, since it seemed so attractive to people my age back in the early 2000s.

I grew up with Sesame Street and towards the end of the show I would hear the end theme and I'd play along. :\'(

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K_SD2GWEHE

"Sesame Street was a production of The Children's Television Workshop".
http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/muppet/images/a/a5/Groversesamesign.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110807230317


Or Sesame Workshop, if you would mention that on the episodes from 2000-present.

I looked up this guy,  I don't remember seeing cowboys when I watch S Street.  Then I saw the words Birdland.  You mean  That only happens in Birdland ..... Birdland.  Well deaths aren't happy things.

I wish that were the case for me. It sucks that I had to grow up with Elmo as a toddler, since it seemed so attractive to people my age back in the early 2000s.


I grew up with Romper Room and Bozo the Clown.  ;D

I grew up with Romper Room and Bozo the Clown.  ;D


You're lucky. I had to experience the Elmomania that has been everywhere for toddlers in the early 2000s. I don't know if it stopped or not, but I still know that Elmo is like the Pikachu of Sesame Street.

You're lucky. I had to experience the Elmomania that has been everywhere for toddlers in the early 2000s. I don't know if it stopped or not, but I still know that Elmo is like the Pikachu of Sesame Street.


Bozo rocked and was subject to (possibly) one of the biggest urban legends of all time.

Romper Room was awesome too. Especially the part where the lady said "Romper, bomber, stomper, boo.  Tell me, tell me, tell me do"  8)

Bozo rocked and was subject to (possibly) one of the biggest urban legends of all time.


That's what made it look somehow creepy and nostalgic at the same time. Sesame Street is still running, even after 47 years, thanks to Jim Henson thinking that red Muppet (Elmo) was a good thing towards Sesame Street. I watched better PBS shows that didn't felt like it had Cousin Oliver Syndrome as a kid.

R.I.P.  :\'(

I remember watching Sesame Street when I was 4 or 5. This year was the first time I've seen it since then, I was in a hotel, woke up, and Sesame Street was on. Some sort of song played that sounded identical to Jingle Bells, but with different lyrics. I just kind of left it on for like 15 mins, and then finally couldn't handle it anymore when they played some sort of Elmo dance song.

It's changed for the worse over the years.

R.I.P.  :\'(

I remember watching Sesame Street when I was 4 or 5. This year was the first time I've seen it since then, I was in a hotel, woke up, and Sesame Street was on. Some sort of song played that sounded identical to Jingle Bells, but with different lyrics. I just kind of left it on for like 15 mins, and then finally couldn't handle it anymore when they played some sort of Elmo dance song.


I feel you. I never really gave a crap about Elmo after I was 4 and a half, like I said a billion times in this forum.


It's changed for the worse over the years.


It became worse after Elmo started to be a main character on the show.

Or Sesame Workshop, if you would mention that on the episodes from 2000-present.


sure I wouldn't mind.  :)

I grew up with Romper Room and Bozo the Clown.  ;D


I remember Romper Room, don't remind me of that mirror.  ::)

You're lucky. I had to experience the Elmomania that has been everywhere for toddlers in the early 2000s. I don't know if it stopped or not, but I still know that Elmo is like the Pikachu of Sesame Street.


It's still going on. ::)

Bozo rocked and was subject to (possibly) one of the biggest urban legends of all time.

Romper Room was awesome too. Especially the part where the lady said "Romper, bomber, stomper, boo.  Tell me, tell me, tell me do"  8)


https://i.ytimg.com/vi/td1KAgrYUGA/hqdefault.jpg

It's changed for the worse over the years.


It sure has.  ::)

I feel you. I never really gave a crap about Elmo after I was 4 and a half, like I said a billion times in this forum.

It became worse after Elmo started to be a main character on the show.


It was all about Elmo.  ::)

It was all about Elmo.  ::)


Well, it's not like the entire show is all about Elmo. There are a few shorts that have other characters, but Elmo seems to be in most of them.

Now that you guys are done complaining about Sesame Street, I'd like to point out that Toots Thielemans was also a respected session player in the realms of Jazz, Blues, and Rock & Roll. Knowing this, I looked him up on Wikipedia and it turns out he was a bandleader for most of his career, but in the studio he recorded with everyone from Miles Davis and Charlie Parker(Jazz), to Quincy Jones and Stevie Wonder(Blues), to Billy Joel and Paul Simon(Rock & Roll). Now maybe you think of the Sesame Street theme first when you hear his name, but you may want to consider that he did much more in the music world.

Your Pal,
Doc
:(