Dave Goelz

Dave Goelz

Dave Goelz was raised in Burbank, California. Goelz started working with Henson Associates as a puppet designer. When Henson and Oz took notice of Goelz, they saw a potential puppet perfomer. They decided to test him out and invited him to New York. Goelz did not feel at home in the Big Apple and soon returned to California. Goelz then set up his own business, creating puppets for trade shows and industrial exhibitions. Henson yearned for Goelz' return, so in 1974 Henson asked Goelz to return to New York as an official Muppet Puppeteer. Since then Goelz has worked with the Henson Company on many projects. Most notibly was "The Muppet Show", where Goelz performed one of the most psychotic characters on the show: The Great Gonzo. Other projects were "Fraggle Rock," "The Animal Show," and many other television specials, videos and movies.