Editing Jim Henson (section)

==Illness and death==
Henson appeared with Kermit on ''[[The Arsenio Hall Show]]'' in Los Angeles on May 4, 1990. This was his final television appearance. Shortly afterwards, he privately disclosed to his publicist that he was tired and had a sore throat, but he believed it was a minor illness. On May 12, Henson traveled to [[Ahoskie, North Carolina]], with his daughter Cheryl to visit his father and stepmother. They returned to their home in New York City the following day, and Henson cancelled a Muppet recording session that had been scheduled for May 14, 1990, due to his ill health.<ref name="People Weekly Article"/> His wife came to visit that night.

Henson was having trouble breathing when he woke up at around 2:00&nbsp;a.m. EDT on May 15, and he began coughing up blood. He suggested to his wife that he might be dying, but he did not want to take time off from his schedule to visit a hospital, feeling that his illness would resolve on its own.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://muppetcentral.com/articles/tributes/henson/hensonarticle5.shtml | title=Muppet Central Articles - Tributes: Legacy of a Gentle Genius }}</ref> Two hours later, Henson agreed to be taken by taxi to the emergency room at [[NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital]] in [[Manhattan]]. Shortly after admission, he stopped breathing and was rushed into the intensive care unit. X-ray images of his chest revealed multiple [[Lung abscess|abscesses]] in both of his lungs as a result of a previous [[streptococcal pharyngitis]] he had apparently had for the past few days. Henson was placed on a ventilator but quickly deteriorated over the next several hours despite increasingly aggressive treatment with multiple antibiotics. Although the medicine killed off most of the infection, it had already weakened many of Henson's organs, and he died at 1:21&nbsp;a.m. the following morning. He was 53.<ref>{{cite news |last=Angier |first=Natalie |title=An Aggressive Infection, Abrupt and Overwhelming |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/17/arts/an-aggressive-infection-abrupt-and-overwhelming.html |work=The New York Times |page=D29 |date=May 17, 1990 |access-date=October 17, 2020 |archive-date=October 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018110458/https://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/17/arts/an-aggressive-infection-abrupt-and-overwhelming.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

David Gelmont, the hospital's intensive care unit director, announced that Henson had died from ''[[Streptococcus pneumoniae]]'', a bacterium that causes [[bacterial pneumonia]].<ref name="nyobit" /> However, on May 29, Gelmont reclassified it as organ dysfunction resulting from streptococcal [[toxic shock syndrome]] caused by ''[[Streptococcus pyogenes]]''.<ref name="altman">{{cite news |last=Altman |first=Lawrence K. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/29/science/the-doctor-s-world-henson-death-shows-danger-of-pneumonia.html |title=The Doctor's World; Henson Death Shows Danger of Pneumonia |work=The New York Times |date=May 29, 1990 |access-date=June 19, 2007 |archive-date=February 9, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209232107/http://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/29/science/the-doctor-s-world-henson-death-shows-danger-of-pneumonia.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=Sherris>{{cite book |editor1=C. George Ray |editor2=Kenneth J. Ryan |title=Sherris Medical Microbiology |edition=4th |publisher=McGraw Hill |year=2004 |pages=276–286 |isbn=0-8385-8529-9}}</ref> Gelmont noted Henson might have been saved had he gone to the hospital just a few hours sooner.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1990-05-18-9005180413-story.html|title=Pneumonia Quickly Spread In Henson|first=Cindy|last=Schreuder|work=Orlando Sentinel|date=May 18, 1990|access-date=September 26, 2020|archive-date=June 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619172733/https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1990-05-18-9005180413-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> 

Medicine reporter Lawrence D. Altman of ''The New York Times'' also stated that Henson's death "may have shocked many Americans who believed that bacterial infections no longer could kill with such swiftness."<ref name="altman"/> A lack of common familiarity with fast-developing bacterial infections, combined with the recent [[AIDS]]-related deaths of several prominent men (including [[Rock Hudson]], [[Liberace]], and [[Roy Cohn]]), led to a false but widespread rumor that Henson had died of AIDS. This rumor was swiftly and directly refuted by Gelmont.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/1990/05/29/assuming-aids/|title=ASSUMING AIDS|first=Sun|last=Sentinel|work=South Florida Sun Sentinel|date=May 29, 1990|access-date=May 31, 2024|url-status=live|archive-date=May 31, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240531150216/https://www.sun-sentinel.com/1990/05/29/assuming-aids/}}</ref> Frank Oz believed the stress of negotiating with Disney contributed to Henson's death, stating in a 2021 interview: "The Disney deal is probably what killed Jim. It made him sick."<ref name=GuardAug21>{{cite news|last=Freeman|first=Hadley|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/aug/30/frank-oz-on-life-as-fozzie-bear-miss-piggy-and-yoda-id-love-to-do-the-muppets-again-but-disney-doesnt-want-me|title=Frank Oz on life as Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy and Yoda: 'I'd love to do the Muppets again but Disney doesn't want me'|date=30 August 2021|author-link=Hadley Freeman|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=14 September 2021|archive-date=May 19, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240519040119/https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/aug/30/frank-oz-on-life-as-fozzie-bear-miss-piggy-and-yoda-id-love-to-do-the-muppets-again-but-disney-doesnt-want-me|url-status=live}}</ref> His remains were cremated, and in 1992, his ashes were scattered near [[Taos, New Mexico]].{{sfn|Jones|2013|p=481}}

===Memorials===
[[File:Mickeykermit.jpg|thumb|[[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]] artists Joe Lanzisero and [[Tim Kirk]] drew a tribute of [[Mickey Mouse]] consoling [[Kermit the Frog]], which appeared in the Summer 1990 issue of ''[[Walt Disney Imagineering|WD Eye]].''<ref>the Summer 1990 issue of ''[[Walt Disney Imagineering|WD Eye]]''</ref>|200x200px]]
News of Henson's death spread quickly and admirers of his work responded from around the world with tributes and condolences. Many of Henson's co-stars and directors from ''Sesame Street'', the Muppets, and other works also shared their thoughts on his death. Numerous outlets covered his death alongside [[Sammy Davis Jr]], who died the same day.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1990/05/18/of-davis-henson-and-a-nations-loss/ | title=Of Davis, Henson and a Nation's Loss | website=[[Chicago Tribune]] | date=May 18, 1990 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjJNHCGFwCo | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/cjJNHCGFwCo| archive-date=2021-12-11 | url-status=live|title=The Deaths of Jim Henson and Sammy Davis Jr |access-date=March 26, 2021 |via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> On May 21, 1990, Henson's public memorial service was conducted in Manhattan at the [[Cathedral of St. John the Divine]]. Another was conducted on July 2, at [[St Paul's Cathedral]] in London. [[Harry Belafonte]] sang "Turn the World Around", a song that he had debuted on ''The Muppet Show'', as each member of the congregation waved a brightly colored foam butterfly attached to a puppet performer's rod.<ref name="fune">{{cite news |last=Blau |first=Eleanor |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/22/arts/henson-is-remembered-as-a-man-with-artistry-humanity-and-fun.html |title=Henson Is Remembered as a Man With Artistry, Humanity and Fun |work=The New York Times |page=B11 |date=May 22, 1990 |access-date=May 14, 2007 |archive-date=December 29, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091229232807/http://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/22/arts/henson-is-remembered-as-a-man-with-artistry-humanity-and-fun.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="belafonte">{{cite video |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9Em3vVwsm0 |title= Jim Henson Memorial 'Turn The World Around' Sung by Harry Belafonte |date=May 22, 1990 |access-date= December 21, 2009 |url-status=live |via=YouTube |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130625040842/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9Em3vVwsm0 |archive-date=June 25, 2013 |df= mdy-all}}</ref> Later, [[Big Bird]] (performed by [[Caroll Spinney]]) walked onto the stage and sang Kermit's signature song "[[Bein' Green]]" while fighting back tears.<ref name="hill">{{cite web |last=Barry |first=Chris |title=Saying "Goodbye" to Jim |date=September 7, 2005 |website=Jim Hill Media |url=http://jimhillmedia.com/guest_writers1/b/chris_barry/archive/2005/09/08/1722.aspx |access-date=November 5, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105160428/http://jimhillmedia.com/guest_writers1/b/chris_barry/archive/2005/09/08/1722.aspx |archive-date=November 5, 2013 }}</ref> [[Dave Goelz]], Frank Oz, [[Kevin Clash]], [[Steve Whitmire]], [[Jerry Nelson]], and [[Richard Hunt (puppeteer)|Richard Hunt]] sang a medley of Henson's favorite songs in their characters' voices, ending with a performance of "Just One Person" while performing their Muppets.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nprfreshair.tumblr.com/post/10954602984/at-jim-hensons-funeral-the-muppets-and-their |publisher=NPR Fresh Air |title=At Jim Henson's funeral, the Muppets (and their human handlers) sang his favorite songs |access-date=November 5, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206071025/http://nprfreshair.tumblr.com/post/10954602984/at-jim-hensons-funeral-the-muppets-and-their |archive-date=February 6, 2015 }}</ref>

In accordance with Henson's wishes, no one in attendance wore black, and the [[Dirty Dozen Brass Band]] finished the service by performing "[[When the Saints Go Marching In]]". The funeral was described by ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'' as "an epic and almost unbearably moving event".<ref name="lifemag"/>