OBIT: Allan Jefferys (ABC Staff Announcer), 88

[wbhist]

One of the voices of ABC from the 1950's into the '80's has been silenced: Allan Jefferys, an ABC staff announcer who was also drama critic for WABC-TV 7 and 770 AM in New York in the 1960's, died Sept. 29 at his Pinehurst, SC home at age 88. He handled all sorts of duties for both the network and the local stations; one of his voiceovers (a 1973 promo for a Streets of San Francisco episode) can be found here. Some enthusiasts of classic TV have confused his voice with that of another ABC staff announcer, Bob Lloyd (who'd announced for Dark Shadows and One Life to Live).

After his retirement from ABC, Jefferys kept active by writing an op-ed column for the local newspaper; his last column was published less than a week before his death.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, June; their son, Doug; and their daughter, Laura.

There is an obituary from David Hinckley in the New York Daily News:
Allan Jefferys, Broadcast Legend and Theater Critic at ABC, Dead at 88

 

[bpatrick]

Is that Pinehurst, NC? I've never heard of Pinehurst, SC.

On the thread about Vic Roby, it was mentioned that only
two of the old-time NBC announcers are left: Don Pardo and
Roger Tuttle. At CBS, I guess Bern Bennett is still living (he
retired in 2003 and will turn 90 this month if he is still alive).
Are there any others left from the '50s and '60s?

 

[wbhist]

Is that Pinehurst, NC? I've never heard of Pinehurst, SC.

On the thread about Vic Roby, it was mentioned that only two of the old-time NBC announcers are left: Don Pardo and
Roger Tuttle. At CBS, I guess Bern Bennett is still living (he retired in 2003 and will turn 90 this month if he is still alive).
Are there any others left from the '50s and '60s?

As far as CBS is concerned, the only other one I can gauge is Don Robertson, the "Voice of CBS Sports." And speaking of CBS, one of their voices for some three decades, Bill Martin, had died June 19 at age 90; an obituary (plus some of his more notable announcing credits, not only for CBS TV and radio but also WCBS-TV 2/880 AM/FM 101.1 in New York) can be seen on a tribute website to WCBS Newsradio 88's glory days. Martin was the one on duty at CBS Network the night The Star Wars Holiday Special aired Nov. 17, 1978; a preemption bumper he voiced that night can be seen (albeit on only one audio channel) here. The FuzzyMemories website has some examples of Martin's pipes at work, including live bumpers for The CBS Late Movie the night Helter Skelter (which Martin, whose broadcast career began at a Springfield, MA radio station after WWII, pronounced as "Heltah Skeltah") aired on Nov. 20, 1979.

As far as ABC voices go, the numbers dwindle by the day: Bill Owen, Bill Rice, George Ansbro and Dick Mason are perhaps the last surviving ABC staff announcers from the '60's who are still around.

As for the part of Pinehurst: Evidently the Daily News article had a typo; Pinehurst is indeed in North Carolina - North, that is (to quote Foghorn Leghorn).

 

[wbhist]

As far as ABC voices go, the numbers dwindle by the day: Bill Owen, Bill Rice, George Ansbro and Dick Mason are perhaps the last surviving ABC staff announcers from the '60's who are still around.

Last I checked (unless something happened otherwise), Carl Caruso would also be of that list.

 

[bpatrick]

Mr. Jefferys has one game-show announcing job to his
credit, and I have to mention it because the host of this
show is still going strong as an announcer himself: "Music
Bingo" (ABC daytime, 1959-60), hosted by Johnny Gilbert,
"Jeopardy!"'s announcer.