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A Tribute to a Few Familiar Voices

By Scott Greggory

Torn Paper Bottom Edge

Already in 2014, we’ve lost many great voice personalities. Here are five we miss the most, as we acknowledge and celebrate all that they brought to our lives.

James Alexander Gordon was the football (soccer) announcer for BBC Radio for more than 40 years, and is considered to be one of the most recognized voices in British broadcasting history. His distinct Scottish accent and delivery style added thrill to an already thrilling sport. Learn how he got his job.

Steve Post was heralded as “New York’s Lenny Bruce,” and his show, “Morning Music with Steve Post,” aired from 1982 to 2001 on WNYC. Post garnered a huge listening audience for a program that featured classical music, but it was always punctuated by his deep baritone and off-color comments. Known for his wit and sardonic sense of humor, the radio host referred to weather forecasts as “weather lies.” Listen to this rememberance of Steve Post.

Pete Van Wieren was a beloved figure in Atlanta, as the voice of Braves baseball from 1976 through 2008. Nicknamed The Professor, Van Wieren worked alongside Skip Caray to deliver Braves fans a delightfully intelligent play-by-play account of each game. He also wrote a book about his career in broadcasting, cleverly titled Of Mikes and MenListen to Pete Van Wieren.

Don Pardo introducing Saturday Night Live might be the most recognizable sound in late-night television. In his iconic style, he welcomed some of the greatest musicians, actors and comedians of the last 40 years, spending 38 seasons with the show before his death in August 2014. He also earned the unique distinction of being one of the few announcers who audiences knew by name. Watch this tribute to Don.

Robin Williams is known for much more than his voiceovers; he was also a brilliant actor and a groundbreaking comedian. Even though his voiceover work often went uncredited, his vocal performances in iconic movies left a lasting impression on an entire generation. Watch this behind-the-scenes look at Robin’s work in Disney’s Aladdin.

Did you ever think about the powerful effect your On Hold Marketing voice has on your callers? Based on the nature of the content, the voice talent can soothe, excite, entertain or instill trust and confidence in your brand.

Listen to our On Hold Marketing voice demos here.