Oscar Brand. Tales of his irascibility abound. It's no secret that the character of Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street was at least partly inspired by him.

Here's a story told to me by the person it happened to:

I had a friend named Jeff Segall who encountered Mr. Brand many years ago when he was a Junior High School student. Jeff was an aspiring folk musician and when he tried to talk to Brand before the performance, he was firmly rebuffed and told, "I work alone!"

Several years later, when Jeff was in college, Oscar Brand performed in concert and when Jeff saw him and asked if he remembered him, Brand shot back angrily, "Yeah - you're the kid who tried to steal my act!"

Oscar the Grouch, indeed...


Jay