Ivy Austin

Ivy Austin (b. January 19, 1978) is a voice actress and singer who provided character vocals for many Sesame Street segments, records, and other productions since the early 1980s. One of her more notable contributions has been performing Sooey Oinker, leader of The Oinker Sisters, beginning with "A New Way to Walk" and continuing through the group's later appearances such as the Elmo's World segment "Families." Austin has lent her voice to many of Super Town Show's music parodies, singing lead on "Cereal Girl" and "Stand By Your Can" among other songs, and animated inserts such as "The Room Is Full of Chickens." She also performed Linda's internal voice in Episodes 2485 and 3059, and dubbed Tita's English voice on Sesame Street Stays Up Late. In 1997, she supplied the voice of Blanche the Polar Bear for the Sesame Street Live show Maggies Coloring Book.

Austin's appearances on Sesame Street records, including new recordings and recycled performances, have included Big Bird Discovers the Orchestra, Sesame Road, Born to Add, Sesame Street Christmas Sing-Along, Sing-Along Travel Songs, and Silly Songs.

Austin additionally provided the voice for Jenny in the book and audio adaptation of The Muppets Take Manhattan. She also provided the voice for Nina in the "Samuel & Nina" segments on Big Bag.

She is the daughter of the late Danny Epstein, a music coordinator who has a long history with Sesame Street production as well as their LP recordings. Outside of Sesame Street, Austin was a frequent performer on A Prairie Home Companion, appeared on film in Grease 2 and portrayed Raggedy Ann in the 1986 short-run Broadway musical (with music by Joe Raposo).

Miscellaneous backing vocals

 * "Above It All"
 * "Back Front Song Muppet Opera"
 * "Do De Rubber Duck"
 * "Do-Op Hop"
 * "Letter of the Day Pageant"
 * "Me Gotta Be Blue"
 * "Peligro"
 * "The Frogs in the Glen"
 * "The Insects in Your Neighborhood"
 * "They Can't Take That Away from Me"
 * "Wedding Pictures"
 * "You Say Hola and I Say Hola"