Fall River Is Celebrating the Co-Creator of ‘Sesame Street’

Fall River's Joe Raposa was truly a musician's musician, and is most famously known as the co-creator of the long-running children's program Sesame Street, as well as the composer of its theme song.

Raposo's stardom humbly began after graduating from Durfee High School, then moving on to Harvard and the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris.

On Wednesday, August 3, the City of Fall River, along with other organizations, are declaring that date "Joe Raposo Day."

The celebration will include the screening of Sing, a rare Sesame Street tribute film to the five-time Grammy-winning Raposo. He composed songs such as "Sing," a tune the Carpenters made famous, "Bein' Green," sung by Kermit the Frog, and many others.

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Raposo co-created the PBS hit show Electric Company, plus arranged concerts for Fred Astaire, wrote songs for Frank Sinatra, and worked closely with Richard Rogers. Raposo's closest friends, Jim Henson and Jon Stone, created Sesame Street and hundreds of other productions.

Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan, Heritage State Park, the Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives at UMass Dartmouth and the Department of Conservation and Recreation, will be welcoming the general public on August 3.

The extended theme of this event is Portuguese Immigration and the contributions of the Portugese people. The tribute to Joe Raposo will also include the introduction of members of the famous composer's family. Refreshment will be served, and free parking is available in the DCR Lot at 5 Water Street.

Raposo was married to Pat Collins, arts-and-entertainment editor of WOR-TV, and had three sons.

While Raposo was composing "The End of the Beginning," he wrote, "I want to describe the promise of every morning and the curiosity and hope in every child's face. I would like to think that this theme of hope and wonder is at the root of all my work."