Facts:   - death place: cape cod , massachusetts , u.s.    - years active: 1965 -- 2012    - resting place: cremation    - caption: nelson from june 2012 shortly before his death . here he in is pictured with the count . a '' sesame street '' publicity photograph    - birth name: jerry l. nelson    - death cause: emphysema , prostate cancer    - other name: jerry l. nelson    - death date: 23 august 2012    - spouse: jan nelson -lrb- 1984 & ndash ; 2012 -rrb-      - children: 1    - birth date: 10 july 1934    - name: jerry nelson    - image: jerry nelson.jpg    - birth place: tulsa , oklahoma , u.s.    - occupation: puppeteer , voice actor , singer   Based on these bullet points, write a short biography describing the life of jerry nelson .
jerry l. nelson -lrb- 10 july 1934 -- 23 august 2012 -rrb- was an american puppeteer , best known for his work with the muppets .renowned for his wide range of characters and singing abilities , he performed muppet characters on `` sesame street '' , `` the muppet show '' , `` fraggle rock '' , and various muppet movies and specials .