Claim: Jim Henson was a puppeteer.

Kermit the Frog is a Muppet character and Jim Henson 's most well-known creation . Introduced in 1955 , Kermit is the straight man protagonist of numerous Muppet productions , most notably Sesame Street and The Muppet Show , as well as in movies , specials , and public service announcements through the years . Henson originally performed Kermit until his death on May 16 , 1990 ; Steve Whitmire has performed Kermit since that time . He was voiced by Frank Welker in Muppet Babies and occasionally in other animation projects .   Kermit performed the hit singles `` Bein ' Green '' in 1970 and `` Rainbow Connection '' in 1979 for The Muppet Movie , the first feature-length film featuring the Muppets . The latter song reached No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 . Kermit 's iconic look and voice have been recognizable worldwide since , and in 2006 , the character was credited as the author of Before You Leap : A Frog 's Eye View of Life 's Greatest Lessons , which is an `` autobiography '' told from the perspective of the character himself .