Longtime ‘SNL’ announcer Don Pardo dies at 96
This March 14, 1992 photo provided by NBC shows announcer Don Pardo on the set of ‘Saturday Night Live.’Photo: Associated Press
(AP) — Few would recognize his face, but most would know his voice: that booming baritone that for nearly four decades would introduce the lineups on Saturday Night Live.
Don Pardo, the durable television and radio announcer whose resonant voice-over style was widely imitated and became the standard in the field, died Monday in Arizona at the age of 96.
Mr. Pardo—a handsome man with a strong chin and confident smile that were overshadowed by his majestic delivery—graced newscasts, game shows and TV programs for more than 60 years. During the original version of Jeopardy!, his answers to the question, “Tell ’em what they’ve won, Don Pardo,” became a memorable part of the program.
And he was an integral part of Saturday Night Live for heralding the cast’s names to kick off each show, which led former cast member Jimmy Fallon to comment later, “Nothing is like the moment when Don Pardo says your name.” Mr. Pardo continued at SNL through the end of last season, when he performed the introductions on the finale in May.