Loretta Long

Loretta Long
Born	Loretta Mae Moore (1938-10-04) October 4, 1938 Paw Paw, Michigan, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Actress, singer, educator
Years active	1969–present

Loretta Mae Long (née Moore) (born October 4, 1938) is an African American actress, singer, media personality and educator, best known for playing Susan Robinson on Sesame Street, having starred on the show since its debut in 1969.

Born in Paw Paw, Michigan, she earned her Ph.D. in Urban Education in 1973 from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, while she was starring on Sesame Street. She has acted in musicals (such as Guys and Dolls) and appeared on the Flip Wilson Show with other Sesame Street cast members during its first season.

On Sesame Street, Long's character Susan, along with Bob (Bob McGrath) and Big Bird / Oscar the Grouch (Caroll Spinney), is one of only three remaining cast members who were on the first show and have been played by the same actors since the show began. She has performed a couple of puppet voices on the show, including Suzetta and Roosevelt Franklin's mother.

Long, in addition to starring on Sesame Street, is a consultant and public speaker on issues of multiculturalism and education.

Early life

Long was born as Loretta Mae Moore in Paw Paw, Michigan on October 4, 1938.

Career

Before the days of Sesame Street, Long was a substitute teacher in New York City. She continued to substitute teach during her early days working for Sesame Street, occasionally causing confusion for her students who had watched her on Sesame Street before coming to school, and then in their classroom later that same morning.

Education

Long commuted to the University of Massachusetts on her days off from Sesame Street to complete a PhD, awarded in 1973. Her Ph.D. dissertation "Sesame Street": A Space Age Approach to Education for Space Age Kids examined the educational model used on Sesame Street.

Sesame Street

The main role played on Sesame Street by Long is the role of Susan, the wife of Gordon Robinson. In early seasons, her character was a housewife; however, in later seasons, her role expanded to that of being a nurse, as well as the mother of adopted son Miles.

Long has also lent her voice to various Muppet segments on Sesame Street, particularly in the early seasons. On the 8th episode of the first season (1969), Long sang the voice of the mother Muppet in the song "Five People in My Family." She also provided the voice for the mother of Roosevelt Franklin, and the voice of a backup singer in the nonsense song "Mahna Mahna."

Musical career

She recorded Susan Sings Songs from Sesame Street (Scepter Records SPS-584) in 1970, including such favorites as the "ABC Song" and "If You're Happy and You Know It." The album reached #86 on Billboard's Top LP's chart, and was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category Best Recording for Children in 1971, ultimately losing to another Sesame Street recording.

In 1975, Long released a single under her own name on RCA Records called "Rainy Day Friend" with a B-Side titled "July the 12th, 1939."

Movies

Long made a cameo appearance in The Muppet Movie, as well as being cast in a number of Sesame Street movies.

Car accident

On February 10, 2010, Long was struck by a car as she crossed Route 130 in East Windsor, New Jersey, suffering head wounds as a result. She was listed in fair condition following the accident.

Filmography

Television
Year	Title	Role	Notes
1969–present	Sesame Street	Susan Robinson Roosevelt Franklin's Mother Suzetta Something one of the Anything Muppet backup singers in "Mahna Mahna" Mother in "Five People in My Family" Various other Muppet characters

External links

• Loretta Long at IMDb
• Loretta Long at The Interviews: An Oral History of Television