In 1969, Jim Henson hired Caroll Spinney for a new television show called Sesame Street. Spinney was chosen to puppeteer and voice Big Bird and Oscar, two characters who would soon become television icons.
Caroll Spinney on the set of Episode 5022
After the production of Season 45, Caroll Spinney was diagnosed with dystonia, a condition that causes involuntary muscle contractions. Due to this, he gave up his puppeteering duties. Matt Vogel, who had been Spinney's understudy since 1997, was now the full-time performer of Big Bird. Eric Jacobson would be the new performer for Oscar. Spinney would continue to provide the voices for his iconic characters until Season 47.
When Season 48 premiered in November 2017, Matt Vogel and Eric Jacobson would begin providing the voices for Big Bird and Oscar. However, in the past, Spinney expressed his desire to be involved at least until Season 50. Spinney would return to voice Big Bird in one episode for Season 49 (Episode 4920), in a cold open introducing the episode's topic.
On October 17, 2018, Caroll Spinney announced his retirement from Sesame Street. His final performance as Big Bird was recorded the next day as part of the show's landmark 50th season. Due to Sesame Workshop letting go of Bob McGrath and Loretta Long after Season 45, Spinney was the final original cast member of the show to leave. At the time of his retirement, he was one of three people from Season 1 who were still involved with the show. The others were cameraman Frank Biondo, and sounds effects director Dick Maitland.
Caroll Spinney's final performance was recorded for Episode 5022, which aired on April 11, 2020. However, Spinney's voice was nowhere to be heard. His voice had been dubbed over by his successor, Matt Vogel. Some fans thought this was ironic, considering how the episode's topic is about disappointment.
Fans have theorized that Spinney's voice had deteriorated too much and wasn't good enough to use. It is unknown if the original version of Episode 5022, containing Spinney's final performance as Big Bird, will ever surface.
Due to Spinney's voice recordings not being used, his last-aired performance as Big Bird was in Episode 4920, aired on March 30, 2019.