With all the talk (understandably) about Ed McMahon,
let us not forget that another legendary voice, Ken
Roberts--perhaps best familiar to baby boomers as the
announcer on "Love Of Life" and "Secret Storm--passed
away yesterday at age 99. One of the ubiqiuitous voices
of radio (I have a tape of a 1948 broadcast of "It Pays To
Be Ignorant," on which he is the announcer), Roberts gained
some fame in the '50s as announcer on Jan Murray's "Dollar
A Second" and as spokesperson for its sponsor, Mogen David
Wines. But the voice of Ken Roberts meant a trip to Rosehill
and a visit with Vanessa Sterling at noon, and to Woodbridge
and the Ames family at 4.
Steve Beverly pointed out that the era of the announcer is
passing; none of the soaps uses one, and although Conan
O'Brien has brought back Andy Richter, Jay Leno kept his
announcer, Edd Hall, off-camera. Only on the game shows
do you still find them to any extent: Rich Fields, Charlie O'Donnell,
Johnny Gilbert, Burton Richardson.
Roberts had a small part in Woody Allen's "Radio Days," in which
his son, Tony, played the host of a radio quiz show on which Allen's
(or the kid supposed to be Allen) aunt wins $50 by identifying types
of fish.
The loss of two legendary announcers in one day just seems to
prove Beverly's point.
let us not forget that another legendary voice, Ken
Roberts--perhaps best familiar to baby boomers as the
announcer on "Love Of Life" and "Secret Storm--passed
away yesterday at age 99. One of the ubiqiuitous voices
of radio (I have a tape of a 1948 broadcast of "It Pays To
Be Ignorant," on which he is the announcer), Roberts gained
some fame in the '50s as announcer on Jan Murray's "Dollar
A Second" and as spokesperson for its sponsor, Mogen David
Wines. But the voice of Ken Roberts meant a trip to Rosehill
and a visit with Vanessa Sterling at noon, and to Woodbridge
and the Ames family at 4.
Steve Beverly pointed out that the era of the announcer is
passing; none of the soaps uses one, and although Conan
O'Brien has brought back Andy Richter, Jay Leno kept his
announcer, Edd Hall, off-camera. Only on the game shows
do you still find them to any extent: Rich Fields, Charlie O'Donnell,
Johnny Gilbert, Burton Richardson.
Roberts had a small part in Woody Allen's "Radio Days," in which
his son, Tony, played the host of a radio quiz show on which Allen's
(or the kid supposed to be Allen) aunt wins $50 by identifying types
of fish.
The loss of two legendary announcers in one day just seems to
prove Beverly's point.
