David Jack (musician)

Last updated

David Jack (born January 20, 1960 in Bristol, Pennsylvania) is an American children's performer, composer, pianist and tap dancer.

Biography

Jack is a Parents' Choice Award-winning composer and performer of children's music. [1] [2] He has appeared on television and radio and frequently entertains at children's music festivals throughout the United States.

He is best known for his eleven years of daily performances at Sesame Place, during which he performed live on stage with Elmo and other Sesame Street characters. [3]

Jack is also the founder of SchoolAssemblies Brands, a company based in Perkasie, Pennsylvania that provides curriculum-based school assembly programs to elementary schools across the country.

Related Research Articles

<i>Sesame Street</i> American childrens television show

Sesame Street is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop and was created by Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett. It is known for its images communicated through the use of Jim Henson's Muppets, and includes short films, with humor and cultural references. It premiered on November 10, 1969, to positive reviews, some controversy, and high viewership. It has aired on the United States national public television provider PBS since its debut, with its first run moving to premium channel HBO on January 16, 2016, then its sister streaming service HBO Max in 2020. Sesame Street is one of the longest-running shows in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shari Lewis</span> American ventriloquist and puppeteer (1934–1998)

Shari Lewis was a Peabody-winning American ventriloquist, puppeteer, children's entertainer, television show host, dancer, singer, actress, author, and symphonic conductor. She famously created and performed the sock puppet Lamb Chop, for Captain Kangaroo in March 1956 and then continued on the early seasons (1957–1959) of Hi Mom, a local morning television show which aired on WRCA-TV in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Clash</span> American puppeteer (born 1960)

Kevin Jeffrey Clash is an American puppeteer, director and producer known for puppeteering Elmo on Sesame Street from 1985 to 2012. He also performed puppets for Labyrinth, Dinosaurs, Oobi, and various Muppet productions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob McGrath</span> American actor (1932–2022)

Robert Emmett McGrath was an American actor, musician, and children's author best known for playing original human character and music teacher Bob Johnson on the educational television series Sesame Street from 1969 to 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Raposo</span> American composer (1937-1989)

Joseph Guilherme Raposo, OIH was an American composer, lyricist, songwriter, singer, and pianist, best known for his work on the children's television series Sesame Street, for which he wrote the theme song, as well as classic songs such as "Bein' Green", "C Is For Cookie" and "Sing". He also wrote music for television shows such as The Electric Company, Shining Time Station and the sitcoms Three's Company and The Ropers, including their theme songs. In addition to these works, Raposo also composed extensively for three Dr. Seuss TV specials in collaboration with the DePatie-Freleng Enterprises: Halloween Is Grinch Night (1977), Pontoffel Pock, Where Are You? (1980), and The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat (1982).

Jeff Moss was an American composer, lyricist, playwright and television writer, best known for his award-winning work on the children's television series Sesame Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Jacobson</span> American puppeteer

Eric Jacobson is an American puppeteer and actor. He is best known for his involvement with the Muppets, performing Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, and Sam Eagle for The Muppets Studio, as well as Sesame Street characters Bert, Grover, Oscar the Grouch, and Guy Smiley—all roles that he inherited from the characters' original performers, Frank Oz, Caroll Spinney, and Jim Henson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephanie D'Abruzzo</span> American actress

Stephanie Ann D'Abruzzo is an American actress, puppeteer and singer. She has performed various Muppets in the TV program Sesame Street. She held starring roles on Oobi and The Book of Pooh. She was one of the original cast members of the stage musical Avenue Q, receiving a nomination for the 2004 Best Actress in a Musical.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Rudman</span> American puppeteer

David Rudman is an American puppeteer, actor, puppet builder, writer, director, and producer known for his involvement with the Muppets and Sesame Street. Rudman currently performs the roles of Scooter, Janice, and Beaker for The Muppets Studio, which were all originated by Richard Hunt, as well as Cookie Monster and Baby Bear on Sesame Street.

Barry Louis Polisar is an author and singer-songwriter who writes children's music and numerous children's books, poems, and stories.

Michael Earl was an American puppeteer. A four-time Emmy Award-winner whose credits include Mr. Snuffleupagus on Sesame Street (1978–1981) and Dr. Ticktock in Ticktock Minutes, a musical series of PSA's on PBS he also co-created, scripted and wrote lyrics for that garnered 11 Southern Regional Emmys, a 1998 National Emmy for Best Public Service Announcements, a Gabriel Award, two Parents' Choice Awards and numerous other honors. Earl performed the original Shrek character in a motion-capture development test film for DreamWorks and puppeteered lead characters in Paramount Pictures' Team America: World Police.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke Special</span> Musical artist

Duke Special is a songwriter and performer based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. A piano-based songwriter with a romantic style and a warm, distinctly accented voice, he was previously known for his distinctive long dreadlocks, eyeliner and outfits he describes as "hobo chic". Nowadays, he performs mostly out of makeup and desires to be more like his true self. His live performances have a theatrical style inspired by Vaudeville and music hall, and often incorporate 78s played on an old-fashioned gramophone, or sound effects from a transistor radio. He is most often accompanied by percussionist "Temperance Society" Chip Bailey, who plays cheese graters and egg whisks, a Stumpf fiddle and a Shruti box, as well as the more typical drums and cymbals. Other musicians who perform with Wilson from time to time include Paul Pilot (guitar), Réa Curran, Ben Castle, Ben Hales, Gareth Williams, "Professor" Ger Eaton (keyboards), Dan Donnelly and Serge Archibald III.

Music of <i>Sesame Street</i> Music of the television show Sesame Street

Music has been a part of the children's television show Sesame Street since its debut on PBS in 1969. For the first time, music was used as a teaching tool on a TV program for children; the songs written and performed on the show fulfilled specific purposes and supported its curriculum. The music on Sesame Street consisted of many styles and genres, but was consistent and recognizable so that it could be reproduced. The producers recorded and released dozens of albums of music; many songs became "timeless classics". In order to attract the best composers and lyricists, CTW allowed songwriters to retain the rights to the songs they wrote, which allowed them to earn lucrative profits. Sesame Street Book & Record, recorded in 1970, went gold and won a Grammy. As of November 2019, Sesame Workshop has partnered with Warner Music Group's Arts Music division to reform Sesame Street Records to make the music of Sesame Street fully available.

<i>Sesame Street Magazine</i> American magazine

Sesame Street Magazine is an American monthly magazine based on the children's television series Sesame Street. The magazine features characters from the television series, and emphasizes Sesame Street's educational goals. The intended audience includes children under the age of five and their parents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gene Barretta</span> American writer

Gene Barretta is an American children's book author and illustrator, animator and character designer.

Joseph Mazzarino is an American actor, puppeteer, writer and director. He is best known for his roles on Sesame Street as Murray Monster, Stinky the Stinkweed and other Muppets, and being Head Writer and Director on Sesame Street, winning 22 Emmy Awards for his work.

Ryan Dillon is an American puppeteer who has worked as an ensemble muppeteer for the Jim Henson Company since 2005. He also played Cooper and Paul Ball for the interactive series Sesame Street TV for Xbox Kinect, and appeared on all four seasons of the new CBeebies and co-productions of Sesame Street, The Furchester Hotel, and The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo as Elmo. In March 2017, Dillon was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steven Schoenberg</span> American songwriter

Steven Schoenberg is an American composer, songwriter, film composer, and pianist. His work includes film scores for Emmy Award-winning films, classical compositions, children's music, and musical theater. As of 2015 he has recorded four noted albums of piano improvisations. Schoenberg is co-founder and CEO at Learn With A Beat, LLC, and with his wife, children's book author Jane Schoenberg, develops educational apps for children. They have two children, actress Sarah Kate Jackson and composer Adam Schoenberg.

David Langston Smyrl, sometimes credited professionally as David L. Smyrl, was an American actor and television writer. He was best known for his role of Mr. Handford, the fictional retired firefighter who ran Hooper's Store on Sesame Street from 1990 to 1998. Smyrl won eight Emmy Awards for his work on Sesame Street during his time on the show.

Randy Klein is an American musician, composer, pianist, author, and educator.

References

  1. "A Kid's Best Friend is a Dog: Parents' Choice Gold Award (1998 Music, 3–9 yrs.)". Parents' Choice. 1998.
  2. Aswad, Jem (October 2005). "The Local Beat". Nick Jr. Family Magazine. Phyllis Sparrow Ginsburg (45): 25.
  3. Vitez, Michael (February 2, 1992). "Reaching Young Fans is no Breeze". Philadelphia Inquirer.