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Memorial service in honour of Jim Henson

This is a playlist with clips from the the cathedral church of St John the Devine in New York city on the 21th of May 1990, commemorating the father of the Muppets, Jim Henson. It's oftentimes referred to by Muppet fans as a funeral service, but is officially described as a memorial service.
Another memorial service was later held at St Paul’s Cathedral in London on July 2, 1990. That event was not filmed and as noted by one journalist, "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 with the only stipulation from instructions drafted by Henson in 1986, that no one in attendance would wear black and a Dixieland jazz band would finish the service by performing "When The Saints Go Marching In." He wanted the event, should there be one, to be a joyful celebration of his life and not just a mourning of his passing.
The programs for both were fairly similar, though not identical. Both events 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. The image of a growing number of performers singing "Just One Person" was later recreated for the 1990 television special "The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson" and inspired screenwriter Richard Curtis, who attended the London service, to write the growing-orchestra wedding scene of his 2003 film "Love Actually."
Steve Whitmire (Rizzo the Rat, Wembley Fraggle and Bean Bunny, among others) wore a bright Kermit the Frog green-coloured suit, while Louise Gold wore a bright red dress.

Henson died of Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome (STSS, not to be confused with TSS) on May 16, 1990. The day before he had gotten severely ill and had begun suspecting he was dying. At first, however, he didn't want to leave his home for the hospital. His wife later told People Magazine that it was likely due to his desire not to be a bother to people.

Jim Henson left behind a wonderful legacy in his family of Muppets that will forever live on in the hearts and minds of children and adults alike. His work has entertained, educated and stimulated the imagination of my family, and will continue to do so for generations to come.

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