If you’re curious about the muppet who plays lead guitar, it’s Janice!
And if you want to learn more about Janice and the rest of the Muppet Show Band, keep reading!
The Muppet Show Band
Everyone who watched “The Muppet Show” is probably aware of the great music that came with it.
In fact, the show had its very own puppet band called The Electric Mayhem.
Well, it’s actually Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem after their lead singer.
This band mostly plays rock but occasionally dives into other genres as well.
We’ve heard plenty of their songs over the years, some of which were originals and some of which were covers.
The band has also performed alongside some of the show’s other characters as featured guests.
But in 2016, we’ve even seen them perform alongside Jack White for the cover of “You Are the Sunshine of My Life.”
Background
For Jim Henson, music has always been an integral part of the show.
Having a puppet band was an obvious move, and the band appeared as early as the show’s 1975 episode “Sex and Violence.”
The band’s leader is Dr. Teeth, who’s a vocalist and keyboard player.
This quintet also includes Zoot on saxophone, Animal on drums, Floyd Pepper on bass and vocals, and Janice on guitar.
Aside from these core members, The Electric Mayhem occasionally featured Lips on the trumpet.
You may also know the band for their unique vehicle, a brightly-painted bus.
Of course, among those who performed these roles as puppets are Jim Henson, the show’s creator, and Frank Oz, the famous puppeteer.
From the original cast, only Dave Goelz remains – a puppeteer who plays saxophonist Zoot.
Overall, the band shows Jim Henson’s interest in the counter-culture of the 1960s.
One thing’s for sure; the show wouldn’t be as popular if it weren’t for The Electric Mayhem.
The Muppet Who Plays Lead Guitar: Janice
Out of all band members, most people usually focus on the drummer, the chained-up Animal.
But we shouldn’t overlook Janice, an incredible musician playing the lead guitar in the band.
Just like any other of the show’s characters, Janice also has her story and specific traits.
You may know here as this kind blonde with an obvious flower child personality.
While there’s no specific lore here, The Electric Mayhem Twitter account did reveal that Janice is “truly a flower child.”
It’s wordplay-based humor as they also mentioned that her mother’s name is Daisy.
You also may not see her eyes, just long eyelashes, which are a part of her signature look.
Some believe that her name is a reference to Janis Joplin.
In the original drawings, there were also some obvious resemblances with The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger.
However, the puppet design itself turned out a bit different.
The character is very fond of Gibson Les Paul guitars, particularly those with a cherry sunburst finish.
It’s also worth noting that she’s conceived as a left-handed guitar-playing character.
Janice’s playing style fits The Electric Mayhem’s direction, focusing mostly on classic rock tone and bluesy licks.
Over the years, several different puppeteers played her role.
Interestingly enough, most of them were men.
Outside of the band, she has also periodically appeared in various other sketches, most notably as Nurse Janice.
Janice Running Gag
You may know the show’s running gag of how all the characters are talking in excitement, and, all of a sudden, someone abruptly calls for silence.
Well, Janice is known for being the one who always ends up continuing to talk about an unrelated topic.
You can check out some of her most interesting moments in the embedded player below.
The Muppet Who Plays Lead Guitar: Conclusion
I hope this article has given you some interesting and useful information!
And if you want to learn more about fun facts related to the guitar, then check out:
- Which US State Features a Guitar, Trumpet, and Fiddle
- How Many Strings Does a Guitar Have
- How Many Frets are on a Guitar
Lastly, feel free to leave a message in the comments below if you have more questions about this or another guitar-related topic!
