Just heard today that Don Pardo passed away yesterday at age 96. Do a web search on Pardo's name and a huge number of hits will come up (though most of the news reports are based on the same AP story). No doubt most of us think of him for his TV work on the original Bill Cullen "Price is Right," the original Art Fleming "Jeopardy", "SNL," etc.etc., but he got his start at NBC Radio in 1944 and did everything from the usual station breaks to announcing on one of the last old-time radio daytime soap operas, "Just Plain Bill," to filling in (once only, I think) for regular announcer Fred Collins on NBC Radio's 1950s sci-fi series "X Minus One." The online New York Times article has a clip of Pardo's very last SNL stint, the final show of the 2013-2014 season this past May. Can't imagine what Lorne Michaels is going to do to replace him. Not that there aren't plenty of people out there in TV land who have great vocal chops, diction, etc., but Pardo's brand of network staff announcer is now truly extinct.
Randy Stewart Arts Producer KSMU 901 S. National Springfield MO 65897 _______________________________________________ IRCA mailing list [email protected] http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org To Post a message: [email protected]
