Floyd Pepper

PERFORMER	Jerry Nelson 1975-2003
	Matt Vogel 2008-present
	→CASTING HISTORY...
DEBUT	1975
DESIGN	Michael K. Frith designer
	Dave Goelz builder

for other uses, see Floyd (disambiguation)

Floydpeppersketch — Original concept sketch by Michael Frith.

FloydPepper-reallypurple-withguitar — Floyd Pepper

Electricmayhem2 — Performing on *The Muppet Show*

Floyd Pepper is the bass player for the Electric Mayhem band on The Muppet Show. He first appeared in the 1975 pilot The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence. One of the more vocal band members, Floyd's hip sarcasm is often directed at other Muppet Show regulars, particularly Miss Piggy. Frequently paired with Janice, Floyd also has a certain influence on Animal, or at least as much as anyone can. In picture books such as The Case of the Missing Mother, or certain installments of the Muppet comic strip, Floyd is practically Animal's keeper, pulling his chain and looking after him. The Muppets Mayhem episode "Exile on Main Street" reveals that he had been Animal's guardian since Animal had been left on his doorstep as a baby.

At a Museum of Television and Radio seminar in 1992, performer Jerry Nelson said:

“I always thought of Floyd as a character who had probably been a beatnik first, and then — just like real life — probably been a beatnik, and then he was into jazz and poetry, and then he probably went along with the chase into rock and roll, because he needed a job. He drew the line at punk, as I probably did myself, I think. That's why I can relate to Floyd, I guess because he's all those things.”

Floyd's costume and last name are a reference to the Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and he lists his musical influences as including Fats Waller, Fats Domino, Minnesota Fats and David “Fathead” Newman….^[1]

On August 7th 2016 at Outside Lands, in an interview with Fuse host and reporter Katie van Buren, Floyd stated his age as 43 years old.

The Muppet Show[]

On The Muppet Show, Floyd regularly appeared backstage and interacted with characters outside of The Electric Mayhem. He has also been involved in the plot of a few episodes.

In episode 123, Floyd led the band in quitting because they didn't like the theme song. Floyd later told Kermit that the band would stay if he wrote the theme song. However, Kermit did not like this new theme (Fugue for Frog), and it was never explained on the show how Kermit was able to get the band to stay. They just appeared in the next episode, as if there was never any conflict at all.

In episode 201, Floyd was very active backstage, as the band decided to make Fozzie Bear an honorary hip person because he planned on making "Lullaby of Birdland" the closing number, and he gave Fozzie a pair of shades for being hip. However, after the performance, the band took a vote and decided that Fozzie was no longer hip, and Floyd took Fozzie's shades away.

In episode 305, Floyd was chosen to appear in the Muppets performance of "Camelot", in a role that Floyd wasn't too thrilled to be playing.

In episode 316, when the annoyed Statler and Waldorf left their box, Floyd and Janice took their place on the balcony and made reflections during the show instead of the two old codgers.

In episode 407, when Dudley Moore decided to have a music-making robot, M.A.M.M.A., provide the music for the show, the band was against this, and Floyd did most of the talking for the band.

In episode 506, Floyd portrayed the role of the Caterpillar in the Muppets performance of Alice in Wonderland.

Some of Floyd's songs include "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "New York State of Mind".

Movies and Specials[]

Floyd was also very active in the Muppet movies and specials. In The Muppet Movie, he introduced each member of the band to Kermit and Fozzie. In one scene in Rocky Mountain Holiday, he and John Denver went fishing, and sang "Gone Fishin'" together. He also alluded to his time in the service by calming he was once "stationed in Marseille." Floyd and Janice also introduced a selection of Muppet music clips together in The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years.

The Muppets Mayhem[]

Floyd took on his largest role to date as one of the lead characters of 2023's The Muppets Mayhem. In addition to his first encounter with Animal as mentioned above, the series, particularly the episode "Fortunate Son," touches on his past prior to joining the Electric Mayhem. He first meets Dr. Teeth as teenagers, where is employed at the Jerry's Tunes music store. He helps turn the young Dr. Teeth onto being a musician. He later encounters him following a brief stint at West Point, where he was dishonorably discharged for "turning 'Taps' into a jazz odyssey." He and Dr. Teeth reconnect years later and agree to split town to make music together.

"Break on Through" establishes Floyd's problem with being a perfectionist when it comes to their writing of original songs. Later in the season, he temporarily splits off from the band and becomes a highly successful composer of jingles at Jingle Corp, Inc..

Attire[]

His original outfit was a suit similar to the ones worn by The Beatles on their album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", along with a green hat, though he sometimes wore the Muppet Show's signature purple tux as well.

During the last season of The Muppet Show, Floyd switched to a red jacket and varying shirt colors. In a Muppetism and a number of other later productions (including the French produced Muppets TV), he wore a blue jacket and a brown hat.

Since the Muppets' 2009 appearance at the D23 Expo, he regularly wears a jacket resembling his original outfit, with round gold buttons replacing the gold-threaded sling design on his chest. For his appearance on The Muppets, a replica of his original outfit was created. It was also used in Muppets Most Wanted, although Floyd still regularly appears in his gold-button outfit in promotional material.

For the 2015 series The Muppets, Floyd was given a wider array of outfits, both for performances on Up Late with Miss Piggy and casual wear. This expanded wardrobe has carried over into his various appearances since.