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, and he occasionally also performs with the band The Electric Mayhem. Although 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.
He's a quiet fellow, very easygoing, and a fan of classical music and musicals, particularly Beethoven. He is often portrayed wearing a tuxedo for his classical performances. When The Electric Mayhem walked out over the lameness of the theme song once, only Rowlf stayed on, playing it singlehandedly. He once sang a "What a Wonderful World" to a puppy, and he plays a wisecracking doctor in a recurring medical drama parody skit Veterinarians' Hospital, with nurses Janice and Piggy.
History
Rowlf was built in 1962 for Purina Dog Chow commercials. Jim Henson designed Rowlf who was then built by Don Sahlin. It was Sahlin's first creation. Rowlf rose to popularity as Jimmy Dean's sidekick on The Jimmy Dean Show. He was the first Muppet to get a regular spot on network television. In 1976, Rowlf joined the recurring cast of The Muppet Show as the group's pianist. Rowlf was considered to be one of Jim Henson's most personal characters, and has been mostly retired since Jim Henson's death in 1990, similar to how Scooter was retired after Richard Hunt's death in 1992. It's A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, however, contains the first spoken lines by Rowlf since the death of Jim Henson, but his first major speaking role since Jim Henson's death was in the "Making of" video for the Weezer "Keep Fishin'" music video. Since 1996, Rowlf has been portrayed by puppeteer Bill Barretta. It was reputed that Rowlf was Jim Henson's favorite character. It was also said that Rowlf was the character most like himself. Henson had said Kermit flew off the handle more than he did, while Rowlf's laid back attitude was more like his own demeanor.
Television appearances
- The Jimmy Dean Show
- Adventure In The Arts: The Muppets On Puppets
- The Julie Andrews Hour
- The Muppet Show
- The Muppets Go Hollywood
- John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together
- The Muppets Go To the Movies
- John Denver and the Muppets: A Rocky Mountain Holiday
- The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
- A Muppet Family Christmas
- The Jim Henson Hour
- The Muppets at Walt Disney World
- Sesame Street (a brief counting segment in 1969)
Album
The CD Rowlf the Dog: Ol' Brown Ears is Back was released by BMG in 1993 and featured several songs from The Muppet Show, as performed by Rowlf with an orchestra.