Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem
The five principal members of The Electric Mayhem (from left to right); Dr. Teeth, Janice, Animal, Floyd, and Zoot.
Background information
Origin	United States
Genres	Rock House
Years active	1975–present
Members	Dr. Teeth Animal Floyd Pepper Janice Zoot Lips
Past members	Clifford Jim

Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem are a super cool Muppet band! They first appeared on The Muppet Show in 1975. They are the main band for The Muppet Show, playing all the music. Their fun personalities and looks are inspired by real-life rock music and jazz musicians.

After The Muppet Show, they showed up in many Muppet movies and TV specials. They have also recorded their own songs and covered lots of famous tunes.

The band's main members were created by different talented people. Jim Henson designed Dr. Teeth and Animal. Bonnie Erickson designed Zoot. The other original band members were designed by Michael K. Frith. They all made their first appearance in 1975.

The band has five main members:

• Dr. Teeth sings and plays the keyboards.
• Animal is the wild drummer.
• Floyd Pepper plays the bass.
• Janice plays the guitar.
• Zoot plays the saxophone.

Later, in the fifth season of The Muppet Show, Lips joined the band on trumpet. Animal, Floyd, and Zoot also played in the main orchestra for The Muppet Show. They played the opening and closing songs and music for most performances. Lips and sometimes Janice also joined the orchestra in later episodes.

The Band's Big Adventures

The Electric Mayhem have been in many Muppet movies! Their first movie song was "Can You Picture That?" in The Muppet Movie. They also played "Night Life" in The Great Muppet Caper. They even performed "Jingle Bell Rock" in A Muppet Family Christmas.

In The Muppets Take Manhattan, Dr. Teeth sang "You Can't Take No For An Answer". After some of their puppeteers passed away, the band mostly played background music for a while. But they came back strong!

They backed Miss Piggy for a song in The Muppets' Wizard of Oz. They also performed with Miley Cyrus in a TV special. In the 2010s, they became very popular with their viral videos. They even had a big role on The Muppets TV show. There, they were the house band for the show-within-a-show Up Late with Miss Piggy. In 2015, they released cool music videos for "Jungle Boogie" and "Kodachrome".

The band even performed a live concert at the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in 2016.

Meet the Band Members

Dr. Teeth: The Leader

• Performed by: Jim Henson (1975–1990), John Kennedy (1991–2003), Bill Barretta (2005–present)

Dr. Teeth is the lead singer and keyboard player. He is the gravelly-voiced leader of the band. He has green skin and red hair. He has a big smile with a gold tooth! He wears a fur vest, a striped shirt, and a floppy purple top hat. His arms are so long that other puppeteers help move them. This lets Jim Henson, his original performer, make him play the keyboard.

Jim Henson based Dr. Teeth on a musician named Dr. John. Dr. Teeth often uses big words in funny ways. He was designed by Henson and Michael K. Frith. He first appeared on The Muppet Show.

Dr. Teeth mostly sang lead in the first season of the show. Later, Floyd or Janice often sang lead. After Jim Henson passed away, Dr. Teeth had fewer speaking parts. Bill Barretta has been performing Dr. Teeth since 2005. Even though he leads the band, Dr. Teeth doesn't play in the regular orchestra pit. Rowlf the Dog plays the piano there instead.

Animal: The Wild Drummer

• Performed by: Frank Oz (1975–2000), Eric Jacobson (2002–present)

Animal is the wild and crazy drummer of the band! He is the most famous member and has appeared in every Muppet movie. He was even a regular character in the Muppet Babies cartoon. He is named for his wild behavior and drumming style. Some people think he might be based on famous drummers like Keith Moon or John Bonham.

Frank Oz performed Animal from his first appearance until 2000. Since 2002, Eric Jacobson has performed him. In Muppet Babies, Animal was voiced by Howie Mandel and Dave Coulier. Animal's drumming sounds were actually played by a British jazz drummer named Ronnie Verrell. Animal has appeared in many TV commercials and even on a U.S. postage stamp!

Floyd Pepper: The Cool Bassist

• Performed by: Jerry Nelson (1975–2003; 2008), John Kennedy (2005–2006), Matt Vogel (2008–present)

Floyd Pepper is the cool bassist and backup singer. He is a laid-back hipster with pink skin and long orange hair. He usually wears a green army cap and a red uniform. He plays his bass left-handed. Jerry Nelson performed Floyd until 2003. Then John Kennedy took over, and now Matt Vogel performs him.

Floyd was designed by Michael K. Frith. His name and pink color are a nod to the band Pink Floyd and the album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles. Floyd loves to tease Miss Piggy and thinks he's very cool. He once told Kermit the Frog, "Kermit, you are talking to Floyd Pepper! The hippest of the hip!"

Even though Dr. Teeth is the leader, Floyd sings lead most often. He has a close relationship with Janice and is Animal's good friend. Floyd also thinks he's an excellent songwriter, even if others don't agree!

Janice: The Flower Child Guitarist

• Performed by: Fran Brill (1975–1976), John Lovelady (1975) Eren Ozker (1976), Richard Hunt (1975, 1977–1991), Matt Vogel (2000), Brian Henson (2002–2003), Tyler Bunch (2005–2008), David Rudman (2008–present)

Janice is the guitarist and backup singer with a flower child personality. She has blonde hair, big eyelashes and lips. She usually wears a brown hat with a turquoise gem and a feather. She plays left-handed. Her favorite guitar is a Gibson Les Paul. Her name is a tribute to the singer Janis Joplin.

Janice also acted in funny skits, like Nurse Janice in 'Veterinarian's Hospital'. She would often say funny, wise-cracking things there. Janice was first performed by Eren Ozker and then by Richard Hunt until his death. Since then, different performers have played her, with David Rudman being her most recent performer.

A funny running joke in some Muppet movies is that when everyone is talking at once and someone calls for silence, Janice is the last one still talking about something totally unrelated! She is the only band member besides Animal to appear in the Muppet Babies cartoon.

Zoot: The Quiet Saxophone Player

• Performed by: Dave Goelz (1975–present)

Zoot is the teal-colored saxophone player. He has dark glasses and a blue felt hat. He is usually quiet and laid-back. His name comes from the saxophonist Zoot Sims. He is performed by Dave Goelz. Zoot was first imagined as an older, quiet musician. Because Dave Goelz wasn't sure how to play that, he made Zoot mostly communicate through his music instead of talking.

Zoot actually spoke more in the first season of The Muppet Show. He often danced with Janice in the "At the Dance" skits. Since his eyes are hidden by his glasses, he sometimes seems unaware of what's happening. But he can be smarter than he looks!

Zoot is famous for playing the final, slightly off-key note at the end of The Muppet Show theme song. Then he looks into his saxophone with a puzzled look, checks his music, and gives a satisfied nod. In A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa, we learn that Zoot celebrates Hanukkah.

Lips: The Trumpet Player

• Performed by: Steve Whitmire (1980–2016), Peter Linz (2017–present)

Lips joined the Electric Mayhem in the last season of The Muppet Show. He plays the trumpet. His name comes from how trumpet players use their lips to play. He has yellow hair, a goatee, and a permanent squint. Lips didn't appear or speak much in the early days. This was because his original performer, Steve Whitmire, was still new to puppeteering and wasn't sure how to develop the character.

Lips has appeared in movies like The Muppets and Muppets Most Wanted. He now appears and speaks more often in the newer The Muppets TV series.

Past Members of the Band

Clifford

Clifford, performed by Kevin Clash, was briefly a member of the Electric Mayhem in 1990. He played percussion. He only appeared with the band in the TV special The Muppets at Walt Disney World.

Jim

Jim was a character in the very first pilot episode of The Muppet Show. He was a Muppet version of Jim Henson himself, and he played the banjo.