Editing Rowlf the Dog (section)

==Career==
===''The Jimmy Dean Show''===
Rowlf rose to popularity as [[Jimmy Dean]]'s sidekick on ''[[The Jimmy Dean Show]]'', performed by Henson with [[Frank Oz]] assisting. He was the first Muppet with a regular spot on [[Television network|network television]],<ref name="whatculture1">{{cite web|url=http://whatculture.com/film/the-secret-genius-of-rowlf-the-dog.php |title=The Secret Genius Of Rowlf The Dog |publisher=Whatculture.com |date=2012-09-23 |access-date=2014-04-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110220615/http://whatculture.com/film/the-secret-genius-of-rowlf-the-dog.php |archive-date=2012-11-10 }}</ref> appearing in 85 of the 86 total episodes from 1963 to the show's end in 1966.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.movingimage.us/visit/calendar/2013/11/29/detail/a-dogs-life-a-rowlf-retrospective |title=Museum of the Moving Image - Visit - Calendar - A Dog's Life: A Rowlf Retrospective |publisher=Movingimage.us |date=2013-11-29 |access-date=2014-04-09}}</ref> Jimmy Dean stated that Rowlf's segments were one of the most popular parts of the show, and that Rowlf drew two thousand fan letters a week.<ref>{{cite book|author=Dean, Jimmy|author-link=Jimmy Dean|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IGtY067OEnEC&q=Rowlf |title=Thirty Years of Sausage, Fifty Years of Ham: Jimmy Dean's Own Story |publisher=Berkley Books |year=2004 |isbn=042521026X}}</ref> Henson was so grateful for the exposure Dean offered on his show, even proposing that he take a 40% stake in [[The Jim Henson Company|Henson's company]]. Dean refused, however, later saying in 2005, "I didn't do anything to earn that."<ref name="Craig McDonald interviews Jimmy Dean 2005">[https://web.archive.org/web/20051023192356/http://www.modestyarbor.com/jimmy_dean.html], Craig McDonald interviews Jimmy Dean, 2005</ref> Dean and Rowlf appeared together for the last time in an episode of ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]'' airing on October 8, 1967, performing "Friendship" while doing the "herd of cows" gag.

===''Sesame Street''===
In 1968, Rowlf appeared with [[Kermit the Frog]] on the pitch reel for ''[[Sesame Street]]''. At the end of the pitch reel, Rowlf is depicted as being eager to join the ''Sesame Street'' cast, while Kermit seems reluctant to do so; however, it was Kermit who became a ''Sesame'' star, while Rowlf appeared only in one filmed segment and was never a part of the show's regular cast.

===''The Muppets''===
In 1976, Rowlf joined the recurring cast of ''[[The Muppet Show]]'' as the show's pianist. Rowlf also played Dr. Bob, the wisecracking doctor in the recurring medical drama [[parody]] skit "Veterinarian's Hospital", alongside nurses [[Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem#Janice|Janice]] and [[Miss Piggy]]. Though considered one of the main characters, he rarely interacted with any of the backstage plots involving the show's weekly guest stars.

Rowlf has a primary role in ''[[The Muppet Movie]]'' (1979). In 1984, Baby Rowlf debuted playing a toy piano during a musical number in ''[[The Muppets Take Manhattan]]''. This fantasy sequence with the Muppets as babies was so popular that it resulted in the successful animated cartoon spinoff ''[[Muppet Babies (1984 TV series)|Muppet Babies]]''. He was voiced on that program by [[Katie Leigh]].

Jim Henson's last public performance as Rowlf before his death was as guest on ''[[The Arsenio Hall Show]]'' in 1989. For several years afterward, the character was retired out of deference to Henson's memory (only returning for silent cameos in ''[[The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson]]'', ''[[The Muppet Christmas Carol]]'' and ''[[Muppet Treasure Island]]''), as he was both the first Muppet to achieve popularity and, according to some sources, the character closest to Jim Henson's personality, with Henson's son [[Brian Henson|Brian]] saying in the introduction to episode 117 of ''The Muppet Show'': "Kermit was my father's best known character, but a lot of people think he was more like Rowlf in real life except he couldn't play the piano as well."

Since 1996, Rowlf has been portrayed by puppeteer [[Bill Barretta]]. Barretta has gradually transitioned into the role. Rowlf's first words since Henson's death were in the second episode of ''[[Muppets Tonight]]''. Rowlf also had several lines of dialogue in ''The Muppet Show Live'' (2001) and spoke two lines of dialogue ("Hey, Kermit!" and "Yeah! Heh, heh. Oh!") in ''[[It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie]]'' (2002). In 2005, Rowlf had a 190-word monologue in the second episode of ''[[Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony]]''. Rowlf appeared in the "[[Keep Fishin']]" music video for rock band [[Weezer]]. Although he's only briefly seen, Rowlf had a more prominent role in the behind-the-scenes making-of special that accompanied it, ''Weezer and the Muppets Go Fishin'''.

Additionally, Bill Barretta recorded the vocals as Rowlf singing "The Christmas Party Sing-Along" for the 2006 ''[[The Muppets: A Green and Red Christmas]]'' album.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}}

Rowlf and Kermit appeared together at the 2011 [[Disney D23]] Expo to honor Jim Henson's posthumous induction as a [[Disney Legend]], singing a live duet of "[[Rainbow Connection|The Rainbow Connection]]", as they were Henson's first two Muppet characters.<ref>Disney D23 2011 Expo, ''Disney Legends'' Award Ceremony</ref>

Rowlf appears in ''[[The Muppets (2011 film)|The Muppets]]'' (2011), initially saddened he wasn't included in the montage depicting the principal Muppets being reunited (Rowlf was asleep, and was simply woken up by Kermit and easily convinced to join the cause), and helps rebuild the Muppet theater. He also performs "[[Smells Like Teen Spirit]]" in a barbershop quartet with [[Sam Eagle|Sam the Eagle]], [[Beaker (Muppet)|Beaker]], and [[List of Muppets#Link Hogthrob|Link Hogthrob]] during the Muppet Telethon, as well as an unwilling (and captive) [[Jack Black]].

As of 2014, Rowlf is on long-term display at the [[Center for Puppetry Arts]] in [[Atlanta]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Special Exhibits: Jim Henson: A Man and His Frog|url=http://www.puppet.org/museum/spec.shtml|website=Center for Puppetry Arts in Fulton County Georgia|access-date=12 July 2014|year=2014}}</ref>

In 2019, Rowlf appeared with [[Darci Lynne]] on ''[[America's Got Talent: The Champions]]'', singing "[[Can't Smile Without You]]".