Rowlf the Dog

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Rowlf the Dog
Rowlf the Dog

Rowlf the Dog is a Muppet character, a scruffy brown dog of indeterminate breed with a rounded black nose and long floppy ears. He is the Muppet Theatre's resident pianist (as well as one of many vocalists). Though Kermit the Frog is often credited as the icon of Jim Henson's Muppets, Rowlf was actually the first true Muppet "star" as a recurring character on The Jimmy Dean Show.

Rowlf is a calm and quiet fellow. He is very easygoing and a fan of classical music and musicals, particularly Beethoven.

Contents

[edit] History

Rowlf was built in 1962 for Purina Dog Chow commercials, in which he appeared with Baskerville the Hound. Jim Henson designed Rowlf, and Don Sahlin built him; it was Sahlin's first muppet construction. Rowlf rose to popularity as Jimmy Dean's sidekick on The Jimmy Dean Show. He was the first Muppet with a regular spot on network television appearing in every episode from 1963 to 1966. Jimmy Dean stated that the segments with Rowlf were one of the most popular parts of the show, and that Rowlf drew two thousand fan letters a week [1].

In 1976, Rowlf joined the recurring cast of The Muppet Show as the show's pianist. Rowlf also played Dr. Bob, the wisecracking doctor in a recurring medical drama parody skit Veterinarians' Hospital, on The Muppet Show along side nurses Janice and Piggy.

In 1984, Baby Rowlf debuted playing a toy piano during a musical number in "The Muppets Take Manhattan." This fantasy sequence with the Muppets as babies was so popular that it resulted in the successful cartoon spinoff "Muppet Babies".

Jim Henson's last public performance as Rowlf before his death was as guest on The Arsenio Hall Show in 1990.

Since 1996, Rowlf has been portrayed by puppeteer Bill Barretta. Barretta has gradually transitioned into the role. Rowlf uttered his first word since Henson's death in the second episode of Muppets Tonight. Rowlf had several lines of dialogue in The Muppet Show Live in 2001 and also spoke two lines of dialogue ("Hey, Kermit!" and "Yeah! Heh, heh. Oh!") in It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie in 2002. In 2005, however, Rowlf had a 190-word monologue in the second episdoe of Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony. Rowlf appeared in the "Keep Fishin" music video for rock band Weezer. Although he's only briefly seen, Rowlf had a more prominent role in the behind the scenes making-of special that accompanied it, Weezer and the Muppets Go Fishin'.

Additionally, Bill Barretta recorded the vocals as Rowlf singing "The Christmas Party Sing-Along" for the 2006 A Green and Red Christmas album.

[edit] Television & film appearances

[edit] Album

A solo album titled Ol' Brown Ears is Back was released by BMG in 1993 and featured 14 songs recorded by Jim Henson as Rowlf. Although released three years after Henson's death, the tracks were recorded in 1984.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Dean, Jimmy. Thirty Years of Sausage, Fifty Years of Ham: Jimmy Dean's Own Story. Berkley Books. 2004

[edit] External links

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