The Quietus is sad to learn that Mr. Peppermint, a North Texas children’s entertainer died earlier this week.
Mr. Peppermint, aka Jerry Haynes, was the star of more than 6,000 episodes of his show which ran all the way through the 1960s. In it he ran a music shop and entertained children (whom he called Little Gum Drops) with the help of Muffin Bear and Mr Wiggly Worm.
Due to the location of his TV studios, Haynes was one of the first people to report on the assassination of John F Kennedy from the scene. As well as appearing as Mr. Peppermint, Haynes starred in over 50 films.
Readers of The Quietus may be aware of Mr. Peppermint as the father of Gibby Haynes, the front man of Texan psychedelic rock band The Butthole Surfers.
But Jerry was no stranger to the recording studio himself and even released a self-titled album himself via forward looking UK imprint Blast First in 1990.
Jerry Haynes was 84. We would like to pass on our condolences to friends and family.
