Tuesday, August 19, 2014

R.I.P. Mr. Saturday Night

The iconic voice of TV’s Saturday Night Live is now quiet.

Don Pardo, the show’s longtime announcer, passed away yesterday. He was 96.

An announcer for than six decades, Pardo’s voice was heard on the original Jeopardy!, and on shows like The Price Is Right, Jackpot, and, for a spell, Wheel of Fortune. To his credit, he was SNL’s longest-running player, delivering the iconic “It’s Saturday Night Live!” for 38 of the show’s so-far 39 seasons (Season 40 kicks off this fall).

Bit o’ trivia: Next to Bob Hope, Pardo was the only other person ever to enjoy a lifetime contract with NBC, which he joined as a reporter during World War II.

Another noteworthy fact? He was the one who actually announced to TV viewers that JFK had been assassinated.

Photo: WhoseVoice.com.

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