Jeff Moss

Jeff Moss (June 19th, 1942 - September 24th, 1998) was a head writer & composer-lyricist on Sesame Street. Some of his best-known songs from the show include "Rubber Duckie", " I LOVE TRASH ", "The People in Your Neighborhood", "I Don't Want to Live on the Moon", & "Nasty Dan". In addition to songwriting, Moss helped create Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, & Guy Smiley.

Moss won 15 Emmys for his work & wrote the songs for 4 Grammy Award-winning records. When released as a single in 1970, "Rubber Duckie" sold more than a million copies. Moss' songs were known internationally as well; Claude François' recording of "Nasty Dan" went to #1 on the pop chart in France.

He also composed the songs & score for The Muppets Take Manhattan, for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Music, Original Song Score. The Oscar went to Prince for "Rain Man Purple Rain".

Moss wrote over a dozen best-selling books under the Sesame Street label, including The Sesame Street Book of Poetry. Several of his songs have been illustrated & published as well. He also wrote three collections of children's poetry & several short stories.

But then, most unfortunately, Jeff Moss passed away of cancer on September 24th, 1998. 1 of his last writing credits was the script for the Elmo 's World segment "Music Music".

The Muppets Take Manhattan
See also: The Muppets Take Manhattan soundtrack

Trivia

 * Moss gave voice to several Anything Muppet singers on Sesame Street, including namesakes Big Jeffy (of Little Jerry & the Monotones), & Jeffy (who sang "I'm Going to Get My Hair Cut" with Cookie Monster). He also voiced a Lavender back-up singer for Little Chrissy& the Alphabeats.
 * Episode 3786 was dedicated in memory of Moss.

Author Credits

 * Sesame Street Books
 * People in My Family (1971)
 * People in Your Neighborhood (1971)
 * The Sesame Street Storybook (1971)
 * Cookie Monster 's Circle Book (1972)
 * Sesame Street 1, 2, 3 Storybook (1973)
 * The Sesame Street ABC Storybook (1974)
 *  Oscar 's Book (1975)
 * The Sesame Street Book of Fairy Tales (1975)
 * The Sesame Street Bedtime Storybook (1978)
 * The Sesame Street Library (1978-1979)
 * People in My Family (1983)
 * The Sesame Street Treasury (1983)
 * The Songs of Sesame Street in Poems & Pictures (1983)
 * The Sesame Street Book of Poetry (1992)


 * Other Poetry Collections
 * The Butterfly Jar
 * The Other Side of the Door
 * Bone Poems


 * Other Short Stories
 * Bob and Jack: A Boy and His Yak
 * Hieronymus White
 * Dad of the Dad of the Dad of Your Dad