Loretta Long

Loretta Long
Born Loretta Mae Moore
(1938-10-04) October 4, 1938
Paw Paw, Michigan, U.S.
Occupation 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.

As of July 2016 Long's character Susan, along with Big Bird / Oscar the Grouch (Caroll Spinney), is one of only two remaining cast members who were on the first show and have been played by the same actors since the show began. In the early years she voiced a few female Muppet voices including Roosevelt Franklin's mother, Suzetta and other Muppets where a female voice was needed.

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[1] on October 4, 1938.[2]

Career

Before the days of Sesame Street, Long was a substitute teacher in New York City.[1] 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.[3]

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."[4] 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."[5]

Personal life

Raised on a farm in Paw Paw Michigan. She was married for a time to Pete Long who she worked with on the variety series Soul.

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.[6]

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

References

  1. 1 2 "Dr. Loretta Long". Linked In. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  2. ↑ Emmy TV Legends interview at 1:30 in part 1
  3. ↑ SesameStreet.Org. "Loretta's Biography". Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  4. ↑ Discogs. "Loretta Long – Susan Sings Songs From Sesame Street (Vinyl, LP, Album)". Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  5. ↑ Discogs. "Loretta Long—Rainy-Day Friend / July the 12, 1939 (Vinyl)". Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  6. ↑ Fair, Matt (2010-02-11). "Actress hit by car recovering". The Times, Trenton. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/23/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.