Jim Henson's Memorial

Following the death of Jim Henson, two distinct memorial services were held, both of which featured Muppet performances. The two events have often been conflated with each other. Moreover, both have been confused by fans with the actual funeral. The event was also twice referred to as "Jim Henson's funeral" in the Australian paper Courier/Mail, in separate articles from 1990 and 2004, and elsewhere in the media. In addition, occasional rumors have claimed that the memorial (singular) was televised; on the contrary, despite brief clips in documentaries and news reports, neither event was recorded for television. As noted by one journalist, about the London event, "The only sadness about the memorial service for Jim Henson at St Paul's was that no one televised it."

Both events were open to the public; the only stipulation, from instructions drafted by Henson in 1986, were that no one in attendance wear black. The other notable request was for the presence of a jazz band. Both services were held in famous cathedrals; the first was held in New York City, and the second in London, to thus accommodate a greater number of Muppet performers, staff, and friends from the two regions where Henson had done the bulk of his work. The programs for both were fairly similar, but not identical; both combined hymns and Bible readings with remembrances from family and friends and Muppet performances, and both featured a solo by Big Bird and a gathered mass of puppeteers and Muppets for "Just One Person" as the closing song. Henson's deathbed message was printed on the programs for both: "Please watch out for each other and love and forgive everybody. It's a good life, enjoy it." As Brian Henson quoted his father about the farewell, "It feels strange writing this while I am alive, but it sure would be hard after I go."

St. John's Memorial
The New York memorial was held on May 21, 1990, days after Henson's death, at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Less than two years later, the same church would host the memorial for Richard Hunt. The service began with an organ rendition of "Sunny Days," the Sesame Street theme song. Then the Dirty Dozen Dixieland band entered, playing "Please Release Me," followed by clergy, the church choir, and family. Harry Belafonte was present, paying tribute to Henson: "There is no question about Jim Henson's great artistry and the extent to which we have all been touched by it. Greater than his artistry was his humanity." Colorful butterflies on metal stems, crafted by the Muppet Workshop, were distributed to mourners, who waved them while Belafonte sang "Turn the World Around." A barefoot dancer in a sequined costume and painted face danced waving a foot-tall butterfly.

In addition to Big Bird singing "Bein' Green" and the "Just One Person" closing, Muppet numbers included the male performers singing "Baby Face," Elmo rendering "Lydia the Tattooed Lady," Gonzo singing "You Are My Sunshine" and "I'm Going to Go Back There Someday." The service closed with the band playing "When the Saints Go Marching In."

St. Paul's Memorial
The London memorial was held on July 2, 1990, at St. Paul's Cathedral. Jane Henson and four of the five Henson children were present. The service began, appropriately enough, with a choir singing "All Creatures of Our God and King." The Rt. Reverend Jim Thompson, the Bishop of Stepney, delivered the service, and joked that Robin's song "Halfway Down the Stairs" perfectly defined the Anglican position, safely nestled in the middle. He also stated his own preference for Kermit, but noted that he knew a rector who managed to go through life by by clinging to Miss Piggy as his guardian angel.

Amongst those in attendance was director Richard Curtis. Curtis later directed Love, Actually, a 2003 romantic comedy produced by Duncan Kenworthy. A wedding sequence in the film was directly inspired by the memorial, as Curtis explained in the DVD commentary, though his memory erred on at least one detail: "Now if I can just say a little bit about this scene here. This was, in fact, inspired by Jim Henson's funeral, which was the most moving thing I've ever been to, and at the end of it, one of the ... Frank Oz was talking and he suddenly lifted up Kermit's puppet and started to sing this song called "One Voice" ["Just One Person"], and it turned out that all the guys in the, in the memorial service, had brought their puppets with them, and they lifted them up, and when you turned around and looked backwards, there were fifty puppets all singing, and Big Bird walked down the aisle of St. Paul's Cathedral. They all came forward, and just this massive chorus of puppets all singing. It was an extraordinary thing. So this was our little stab at that."

Just One Person
The performers and characters who sang "Just One Person" included:
 * Pam Arciero with Grungetta.
 * Camille Bonora with Meryl Sheep
 * Fran Brill with Prairie Dawn
 * Kevin Clash with Elmo.
 * Dave Goelz with Gonzo.


 * Louise Gold with Annie Sue Pig.
 * Richard Hunt with Scooter.
 * Kathy Mullen with Mokey Fraggle.
 * Jerry Nelson with Gobo Fraggle.
 * Frank Oz with Fozzie Bear.
 * Karen Prell with Red Fraggle.
 * Mike Quinn with a generic penguin
 * Martin Robinson with Telly Monster.
 * David Rudman with Boo Monster.
 * Caroll Spinney with Oscar the Grouch.
 * Steve Whitmire with Wembley Fraggle.