A Mississippi great. How Jim Henson, Muppets, influenced millions

Brian Broom, Mississippi Clarion LedgerWed, May 6, 2026 at 9:46 AM UTC

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When you think of famous Mississippians, names such as Elvis Presley, B.B. King and Morgan Freeman may come to mind before the name Jim Henson does. After all, Presley was the King of Rock 'n' Roll, King is sometimes called the King of the Blues and Freeman is among the most talented and celebrated actors of our time.

Henson, creator of the Muppets, would have been 90 years old this year. He was more behind the scenes than his famous creations, but through his work with "Sesame Street," "The Muppet Show" and movies, he may have entertained and influenced as many or more people as anyone from Mississippi. One of his most beloved creations was born in Mississippi.

"I would put him first," said Royall Frazier of Meridian. "I really think his impact was greater than anybody.

"He had an impact all over the world. So many kids grew up with him. He really had a big impact with all his Muppets."

Frazier was born and raised in Leland, a small Delta town that is home to about 3,700 people these days. When Henson was born, Sept. 24, 1936, it was roughly the same. It was the town where Henson and Frazier became friends in early childhood, and a creek was part of growing up there.

Jim performing Kermit the Frog in the early 1980s.Jim Henson's early years in the Mississippi Delta

The Mississippi Delta is a land that is flat as far as the eye can see. At its heart is agriculture, an industry that attracted people from all walks of life. One feature on the landscape is Deer Creek and it's considered to be the birthplace of one of Henson's most beloved characters — Kermit the Frog.

"His house was right on the bank of Deer Creek in Stoneville," said Mary Shaifer-Boteler of Leland, a member of the Leland Historic Preservation Commission "Stoneville is only a mile outside Leland.

"The boys would catch frogs and snakes and catch fish in the creek. The boys did all kinds of things."

Shaifer-Boteler didn't know Henson as a child, but her first husband, Sammy Shaifer, did. They were in Cub Scouts together and attended the same elementary school. However, Shaifer died in 1970 and never knew of the fame and impact Henson would have.

Even though Henson moved from Leland as a young boy, Frazier remained friends with him throughout his life and said even in those early days, he thought Henson was destined for something great.

"He and Paul, his brother, were very, very creative," Frazier said. "I remember spending the night out there and they had made a radio.

"You could get one station. It was out of Greenville. He and his brother were always creating things. They were always tinkering with something."

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The birth of Kermit the Frog

Deer Creek runs through the town of Leland, and the frogs that call it home are said to be the inspiration for what is likely Henson's most beloved creation, Kermit the Frog. Fittingly, the Birthplace of the Frog exhibit is located along the creek.

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Kermit went from inspiration to puppet when he debuted on television in 1955. According to The Jim Henson Company, Henson developed an interest in puppets while in high school and landed a spot for his puppets on a local television station as a freshman at the University of Maryland.

The show was called "Sam and Friends" and although the characters have largely been forgotten about, it was just the beginning of Kermit the Frog's fame. However, Kermit didn't look exactly the same then as we know him today.

"We have a couple of pictures of Kermit the 1st," said Heather Nowell, general manager of the Birthplace of the Frog exhibit. "He was made from his mother's old spring coat and a ping pong ball he split in half. He ended up using a lot of ping pong balls on a lot of characters."

Then there's Kermit's name. Frazier said Kermit wasn't named after anyone in particular, but it was a name Henson liked and first heard it in Leland.

"Kermit was a guy named Kermit Scott," Frazier said. "Jim and I talked about it when he lived in London. He said that was the first time he'd heard the name."

Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets, was born in Mississippi and he may be one of the most influential people to ever call the state home.

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The Muppets move to 'Sesame Street' and beyond

"Sam and Friends" aired until 1961, but opportunities for the Muppets kept coming. According to the Jim Henson Company, the Muppets made regular appearances on the "Today Show" and the "Jimmy Dean Show."

Toward the late 1960s, "Sesame Street" was in the works, and Henson was asked to create a cast of characters for the children's show. It turned out to be a huge success. The lovable Muppets made learning fun. According to CBS, within a decade, 9 million children were watching the show each day. Within about 15 years, almost 90% of children from kindergarten through second grade had watched the show before starting school.

And the popularity and success of Henson's Muppets branched out beyond "Sesame Street." Henson went on to create The "Muppet Show," and his creatures were in several feature-length movies.

Large versions of Kermit and Miss Piggy are displayed at the Birthplace of Kermit the Frog Museum in Leland on Wednesday, April 22. The duo was previously held in the King’s Daughters Hospital where Jim Henson was born.

Henson died on May 16, 1990, nearly 36 years ago, but his creations live on and his impact is still recognized.

"I rate him No. 1," said Shaifer-Boteler. "These children he influenced grew up having those values he taught through these Muppets. He was brilliant. I can't think of anybody that had the mind he had."

Brian Broom has been reporting on and photographing Mississippi for more than 35 years. He can be reached at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com.

This is the first in a series of stories on Mississippi-native Jim Henson, the Muppets and the town of Leland, from which Henson was reared.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Sesame Street characters The Muppets creator Jim Henson of Mississippi

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